Length of time between chemo cycles and RT?

Sorry for typos! On my tiny phone…

Hello Alfie.

OH had chemo then RT but only 20sesiins so 4 weeks. His last chemo was late July 2023. He had a scan 9th August & saw oncology 17th.

radiotherapy planning was done on 31st August and started RT 20th September.

Not sure if this was as we had a holiday booked for early September or just waiting post chemo. We were done 4 weeks later but the effects post chemo to bowels and to bladder lasted pretty much to around December.

Best advice would be to talk to the team to get a better idea how it all works at your hospital so you can make an informed choice.  
All the very best to you both xxx

Hi Alfie.

The normal protocol is that there should be a break of 3 - 6 weeks after the last chemotherapy infusion before radiotherapy starts to allow the body to recover. It is then recommended that radiotherapy should commence within 12 weeks from the date of the last infusion i.e. by the end of July, to give the best efficacy of the combined treatment. I would make sure that your husband is booked in for the radiotherapy and explain that you would like it as soon as possible because of other long standing commitments. Radiotherapy can be quite tiring, particularly towards the end of the sessions so plan to give hubby a couple of weeks to recover from it but keeping as active as possible throughout the treatment will help reduce recovery time. Radiotherapy departments are under a lot of pressure at the moment so I would make sure that everything is in place as soon as possible and be firm, but polite that things cannot be allowed to slip.

Hello Alfie42A A warm welcome to the online Prostate Community.

The two posts above are spot on - just make sure the Radiotherapy department are aware of your arrangements - I am aware of long waiting lists in parts of the UK at present for RT.

I hope all goes well and you have a cracking holiday..You may also find this thread useful too

;Travel insurance forum for cancer patients .

Just click on the link I have provided and it will take you there.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thank so much for this. Presume damage from RT is diarrhoea and constant peeing? Much other damage? I do hope he is well now. Thank you

My husband had 33 sessions of EBRT 3.5 years ago which was very successful. He has very few side effects now, only the occasional weak bladder control at night so he wears a Tena 2 pad then as a safety precaution.  The radiotherapy can cause short term constipation or diarrhea but easily controlled by medication. Make sure hubby does his pelvic floor exercises to strengthen his abdominal muscles - it really does help with bladder control. Apart from the fatigue my husband had no additional side effects. It is important to let the technicians know of any problems during radiotherapy as they can offer plenty of tailored advice, but also make sure you do everything they recommend. In comparison to chemotherapy, radiotherapy was a walk in the park, just time consuming.

Thanks so much. Hope he is well now?

Thank you very much. So helpful. 

Thank you so much!