My dad is seriously contemplating not completing his radiation. He has 5 left.

He is concerned about quality of life issues - and the spiraling impact on the rest of his body that the treatment is doing.

His bone marrow seems to have been unusually impacted - the drs keep calling him a "special case." (which really is not a comforting phrase in this situation!) And more disturbingly, they don't really seem to know why. Could be chemo, could be something else.

They are running a number of tests - and have stopped chemo after 4 weekly does cisplatin, 1 dose carbo. He has 5 rad left and they want him to finish. (He had a nearly 3 week break halfway thru treatment bc his counts fell dangerously low and he was hospitalized.)

All the reading I have done, and the opinion of his Rad MD, seems to indicate that completing rad is pretty critical.

I know everyone is different - but I'm having a hard time figuring out the cost/benefit of continuing at this point. His blood counts seem to collapse so quickly, that I'm more concerned that if he continues, he will do it at the expense of his bone marrow -- and where does that leave him post Tx and the ability to rebuild his health? If he stops now, will all that he has been through the last 3 months have been for not?

I know you all can't literally answer my questions - but I needed a place to start working through my thoughts and would love to hear anything you'd like to share.

thanks,
Alicia

There are shots the doctors can give him to boost his white counts.

The cost of quitting treatments could mean he could easily have a recurrence if every single cancer cell is not eliminated with the radiation. I know how hard it is, Ive gone thru it and struggled every step of the way. I know how lousy he must feel right now but thats the thing.....its only right now. Once treatments are over he will begin to recover and within a couple weeks/months he will begin to get his old life back. This is all a temporary thing and he needs to pull himself together and decide to fight and beat this. By quitting he may be signing his death certificate. Sorry to sound so harsh but if he doesnt complete the treatments he very easily could die a very bad death.

Print this out and show it to him. Im a former patient and felt just like he did until my nurse and teenaged son encouraged me. My son told me I was finishing if he had to pick me up and carry me to treatments. I finished but not because I wanted to, because I had children depending on me to get thru it. My family needed me, luckily I realized this and continued.

Nutrition and hydration will help him to feel so much better. At the hospital they are able to give hydration with a prescription. This will help him to feel better immediately. Ask the doc to write it for him to go 3 times a week, every other day and he will feel alot better. Push for a minimum of 2500 calories daily. Anything less and he will feel horrible. If hydration and nutrition gets on track it will make things much easier.

Best wishes to you Alicia and your father!!!

Christine - thank you for your response. It was the kick in the butt I needed!

Im not usually the stern one around here. I dont want to see someone die because they didnt feel like finishing radiation. Get yourself motivated to be the tough guy and push him. Might be a rough few days but better have the patient a little angry than facing a recurrence.

Best wishes!!!