Radiotherapy support

I would absolutely tell your doctors about the pelvis fractures and your bowel issues and your other concerns before you start radiation because they will need to be very careful with you.  I would also ask if you qualify for  immunotherapy treatments or other second line treatments.  

Yes, you should bring these up with the oncologist. I would consider writing it down in list form so you can go through it all one by one. I did similar myself. 

It is your choice whether or not you go through the treatment but it is important that it is an informed choice. The oncologist needs to know of your medical concerns and it needs to be a benefits vs risks decision. 

Perhaps also ask if Brachytherapy could be an alternative as it seems to have less side effects. 

I remember talking to my oncologist about whether or not I could not have the treatment and sort of bank it, in case the cancer recurred. The advice in my circumstances was it was better to have now than risk the recurrence. She also said it is not normally possible to have radiotherapy in the same area more than once. I asked about what treatment options there would be if the cancer did return and was told that it depended on the area and how much etc. Was told possibly surgery or chemo. 

But do talk to your oncologist. These are all important factors that need looking into.

Jane

Thought I would give an update on my progress. I have now done 20 of the radio with the Cisplatin at the beginning and then 3 weeks later. For some reason in the last couple of weeks I have had a couple of skipped days, I haven’t got one today, and this just feels like dragging it out.  I thought I was doing really well until last weekend, when think impact of second lot of chemo, together with the ongoing radio I was suddenly hit for 6.  Have bowel issues, but not too bad, take Imodium perhaps every third day. What I can’t get my head around at the moment is doing the further chemo in a few weeks time, when everyone is warning me, that the impact of radio reaches a peak 2 weeks after completion.

I guess they don’t want to lose time to allowing your body to reset between treatments.  I think i have 4 weeks between the last chemo tomorrow and the first radiation treatment.  Each country seems to do things differently.  Best wishes for getting through this

Thanks, and good luck tomorrow with your last chemo

Hi Jane2511 Thank you for your reply. I have emailed my oncologist with my concerns and got a phone call from her secretary to say she is currently on leave but will put it in her inbox ready for when she returns. I mentioned brachytherapy in my email too and do remember her mentioning it when we first met and think she was talking about it being a top up at the end. Once she has read through my concerns, and evaluated risks and benefits, I feel confident that I will be guided by her recommendation. Yes lots of things to weigh up such as me having stage 3 and grade 2 cancer. Thank you for your helpful response :) 

Thank you DidiOntario, I sent my oncologist an email yesterday and did mention all my concerns including the pelvic fractures. I also asked whether I qualified for immunotherapy treatments. So thank you for your reply and suggestion :) 

Hi Waidh, I personally have never heard anyone say that “the impact of radio reaches a peak 2 weeks after completion”. By two weeks post radio my bowels were back to normal, I was back to eating all my normal stuff again (yay for broccoli, seeded bread and jacket potatoes!) and feeling fine. 

That’s really reassuring - thank you! as both consultant and nurses have been warning me of this although mainly in connection with fatigue,I’ve been thinking if this is how I am feeling now how bad will it be in 3 weeks time. I don’t think helped as I said by the chemo last week. I am so looking forward to eating normally again!

For me, I had some mental fatigue post radio but I personally think that was down to relief that it was finally all over and all I did was to be kind to myself and pamper myself!