| Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 14 Member | OP Member Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 14 | My Dad has completed 26 radiations out of 30 planned. When the Chemo doctor considering the bad ulcers in the mouth and tongue ordered the radiation to be stopped for few days. The radiation doctor, who is not very responsible did see him 2 days back but never recommended it. Does anyone had to stop radiation in between ?. What is the general experience. He has one more chemo to go and its also postponed as his blood counts are also too low.
For Dad Age: 68 Tobaco user and Smoker. Stage: T2N1M0 , Detected 03/16/2010,Surgery : 04/21/2010 IMRT Radiation (6 weeks plan)+ Carboplatin (Weekly Dose) Started on 05/19/2010 Completed on 07/12/2010.
| | | | Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 142 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 142 | I had a three week break in radiation. They just say it isn't the best thing but it couldn't be avoided. Because of the break they did add 4 more the orginal 30
55 12/17/09 High Grade Muceopidermoid Carcinoma Alerted by Largo my Mini Schnauzer 1/18/10 Clr PET 1/27/10 Surgery found Perineural invasion 3/22/10 Began Rad 05/05/10 34 rads 8/19/10 Clr Pet Scan 12/13/10 Clr Ultra sound/biopsy 5/4/11 MRI Clear 8/2/11 All Clear 5/25/12 All Clear 6/3/2016 All Clear
| | | | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: May 2007 Posts: 666 | Stopping the radiation is not a good thing in general. If it is just for a few days it may not matter that much. I too had a break for about a week after my first few (3) treatments, after which they zapped a larger volume. In a way you are taking a break in the treatment every weekend.
M
Last edited by Markus; 06-24-2010 10:11 AM.
Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
| | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | My husband had to stop radiation about half way through for a week because he started hemoraging (sorry about the spelling) and was in ICU. I'm happy to report he's 5 year's out now and doing good. Hope this gives you some comfort.
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 | I had to stop rads for a week because my throat swelled shut and I could not breathe lying down. After that week I did the rest of the 5 weeks left. It was difficult, but we made it. They do say the breaks in radiation are not good, but sometimes they can not be helped. It seems a shame that you had to break so close to the end.
Angelia 31 at Dx. DX: 4/30/09, 10/21/09 SCC on floor of mouth, T1NOMO, T2N1M0 TX: 39 IMRT, 8 cisplatin 11/30/09 PET/CT: 11/03/09: Lymph node involvement PEG/PORT: 11/09 TX end: 02/01/10 PET Scan: 04/05/10 clear PEG Out: 06/21/10 Biopsy: 12/23/10: fibrosis HBO: 01/04/11 - ORN Baby girl born 11-30-12
| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 | I too was told that breaks in between were not good but others here have had to have a break for various reasons and they are fine. If a break is needed then it's probably warranted. I had my last chemo cancelled.
Dx 3/27/09 @ 28 years old with High Grade MEC T4N2M0 Elizabeth, 33, mother of 3 girls (4,7, &8yrs old) 3 rds of chemo(Carbo/Taxol) Rt Mandibulectomy, rt fibular flap,& rt ND with trach, picc,& g-tube. 30 rds of rads with weekly cisplatin SCANS ALL CLEAR! OCF Regional Coordinator of San Antonio Walk
| | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 7 Member | Member Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 7 | i had 7 treatments of radiation left to go and my doctor stopped for a week to have my mask refitted and lasers repositioned as i was loosing so much weight i started to wiggle in the mask. i was upset, but it was a nice break, also didnt make it thru the last chemo treatment because the side effects were so bad. but after the last 7 treatments i can say im done and hopefully cured.last 3 scans have been great. no abnormal activity.
age 29,salivary gland cancer, smoker, non drinker, weekly cisplatin and IMRT daily X 34. Just started treatments.
3/2010 all done with treatments and 3 great scans. life is back to normal pretty much.
| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 138 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 138 | My oncologist stopped my radiation for a week also when my bloodwork came back bad. She sent me for a blood transfusion and I had to get some shots in my stomach for three days. Then it was back to the routine and they just added that week I missed to the end of treatment and adjusted my chemo dates (I had 3 big doses of chemo spread across the 7 weeks of rads).
BOT-SCC Partial glossectomy 7/16/09. Stage IV, Rt ND 10/2/09. Teeth out 11/5/09. Port/peg in, 11/20/09. 7 wks rad & chemo, end 1/22/10 lung, colon biopsies 1/9/11 - both cancer colon resect surg 1/10/11 Folfox + Avastin - discontinued 6/11 lung surgery 3/13/12, 5/1/12 mets to liver and bones passed away 9/4/13
| | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | My son also had his radiation treatments stopped for a week when the effects got so bad and he just announced one morning he was not going to go. I really worried about his missing his radiation appointment, but luckily he also had a doctor's appointment the same day so I was able to convince him to let the doctor check him out and after seeing what his mouth and throat looked like, he gave him a week's break. It seemed to help and he continued on with the treatments and doing fine, now 4 years later.
Anne-Marie CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
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