We learned yesterday that my husband has multiple bone mets in his spine, he going to have radiotherapy, how successful is this?
Also his feet are really swollen and painful, kidney and liver blood tests are normal, any ideas? he completed chemo in June it was not successful in treating the cancer and PSA continued to rise during treatment and he had very few side effects.
Radiotherapy of bone mets usually gives excellent pain palliation and may prevent fractures. He only needs one or two zaps.
Thank you, he is starting radiotherapy on Wednesday, He also has osteoporosis as a result of hormone therapy which he has been receiving for 9 years, and has a fracture of L3 and T12 as well as cancer to other parts of the spine so as you can imagine he is in a lot of pain just hope the radiotherapy will help
As I recall, a couple of months ago you posted about the long history of his multiple advanced treatments in the UK. Sorry to hear about the painful symptoms in the swollen feet. What does the doctor say about that? Sometimes extremities can swell due to lymphedema, if lymph nodes or lymphatic drainage are impacted by the disease or by treatments. Perhaps some combination of drugs or physical therapy or compression garments might help in bringing the foot swelling down?
Good luck with the "spot radiation" to any of his spinal bone mets. They may not cure his overall systemic disease, but may provide palliation of painful symptoms.
Thank you, due to start radiotherapy on Wednesday, he has an added complication because he also has osteoporosis as a result of all the hormone therapy.
I have been thinking that his feet may be the result of chemo or that it is lymphedema, we will be speaking to his docs this week
Jan,
Radiation on the spine got rid of my husband’s pain. He was in a wheel chair due to the pain. Nowhere is walking around. I hope your husband responds as well. We are rechallenging taxotere now. My husband is tolerating it pretty well.
Steph,
I will be interested to know if your husband's rechallenge is 2 or 3 weekly and of course I hope that this is successful as well. I have a feeling that this is where Ray will be going when we revisit the Oncologist on the 21st. Has been on Xtandi for 3 years now, PSA is climbing which is a little worrying...
Jan,
Ray had radiation T4- T11 and it was very successful for him... pain went away. Got this itchy rash from the radiation but a topical cream soon sorted it all out!. Can't thank the docs enough for their very caring treatment. I am sending you lots of hugs..
Thank you so much, my husband is due to start radiotherapy on Wednesday but unfortunately he also has osteoporosis as a result of so much hormone therapy and has a fracture to two vertebrae so just hope that the radiotherapy will sort out at least a part of his pain
Hi Carol2
Do you remember during your husbands radiation when the pain started to ease? My husband has had two (scheduled for 5) but so far pain has not improved
Thank you, I am glad that your husband is doing well, My husband is due to start radiotherapy on Wednesday, he is in terrible pain as he also has osteoporosis and has fractured his L3 and T12 so I don't think he will be pain free after treatment but hope that it improves
I had radiation to my spine following similar diagnosis in July last year. 5 sessions over the course of a week. I couldn’t stand up straight and moved with great pain prior to that. The radiation sorted it out. It took about 6-8 weeks for the residual pain to subside completely but standard painkillers fixed that. I haven’t taken a painkiller since January.
Thankyou for that, my husband also has osteoporosis and has a fracture on L3 and T12, he is not sure which gives him the most pain the cancer or the osteoporosis
Hi Ian
Can you remember how many treatments you had before you noticed a difference in pain level. My husband has had two so far and is scheduled to have five but so far it has not helped with pain and he is taking a cocktail of strong pain killers.
I cannot recall exactly but it took time. Like weeks rather than days but when the pain cleared it was fantastic. I was skeptical at first, and had difficulty even lying on the bed in the radiation machine, felt nauseous at times too, but the ultimate effect was great. I had a fentanyl patch for about 10 weeks thereafter, plus a few other daily painkillers (oxynorm etc), then one day took it off and never looked back. At one stage, I thought that I would never walk, sit or stand comfortably again, but now quite normal. Not perfect though and seems that one is never free of some niggle in this condition. Working out in a swimming pool has been a huge part of my recovery as one can at least move freely in water (and importantly with some confidence) without fear of pain. Stay positive. If my experience is anything to go by he will get much better.
Make sure that one of the types of treatment you consider in consultation with your docs is Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and or proton radiation.
They are the two most precise types.
More or less same here. Am 78, IMRT in 2007, then hormones, then chemo, then hormones, etc. Castration resistant now. Starting radiation of mets on Thurs for pain., maybe 10 sessions, don't know yet. Xtandi OK for 5 months, then Chemo with docetaxel for 4 months. Felt like crap so stopped chemo. Pain in lumbar region increased to point where Tromadol didn't do the trick (200 mg. /day) now starting methadone (20 mg/day) which seems to be better, less pain. Lots of mets lumbar, pelvic, spine, etc. None on lymph....yet! Hope rads zaps the mets and helps with pain. Pca is a bitch, ain't it! Good luck all!
Thanks for your reply, my husband also starts radiotherapy to spine on Thursday. They are concerned that one tumour is at the base of spine is very close to the spinal cord so so are desperately hoping that they can shrink it, Good luck with your treatment.
Hi Plasticman
How did you get on with your radiation, any pain relief yet?
Hi JJ. Haven't had it yet. Maybe next week. Have to have CAT scan first as they have to mark the position of the mets. Will have 10 sessions, one a day. Meanwhile am on methadone for pain. Works pretty good but leaves you groggy and sleepy. Trying to reduce the dosage by half a pill a day while keeping pain at bay. Will post results.
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