Thank you for the search information, Leslie, I have looked at the threads and pages and they are very helpful. This is a new procedure and not alot of long term data on it as yet. thank you so much for your help as it is very informative, we are both very scared and trying not to be. Darbi

In my non medical opinion our weight loss is multifaceted resulting from perhaps a combination of the effects of chemo, radiation and the mental aspect of cancer. Both the radiation and chemo damage cells and the radiation damages both healthy as well as cancerous ones so in this regard our body is expending energy to repair itself. I assume it's also expending energy to fight the cancer in the first place. I also believe that we expend an amount of energy dealing with all the mental issues that cancer brings. The physical damage speaks for itself but that doesn't explain why PEG users sometimes loose as much weight as non PEG users. I have heard that the radiation changes our metabolism so hopefully Gary can address that as I can't understand how radiation could do that but I do still find it easier to maintain my weight now compared to pre TX.

A very non scientific but intuitive reason for the weight loss may be in major dietary changes. Studies show survey respondents usually gloss over excessive drinking (they're all "social") or gluttony (just some "snacks"). I can't recall a single fellow radiation patient in the waiting room talking about eating candy bars, or potato chips, or cookies or any sugary snack. Nor did they guzzle sodas and with the exception of myself, they gave up alcohol. Major calories not usually counted by people. Just speculation on a Sunday morning.
Of course I had given up all sugar years ago, and lost weight during TX, but expected it since I did not want or have a PEG.
But I used to eat a bag of potato chips at one setting and after IMRT had no desire to do so ever again.
Charm

Thanks to David and Charm, and I am going to be posting in the thread "In Treatment" instead of the Introduction thread, as I did here - I'll be posting an answer there to you both - Darbi