Hi everyone,
This is my 1st post though I have read a lot of info here in the past couple of months.
My question is about a break in radiation. My husband, Jeff, had completed 26 of 40 scheduled IMRT treatments last weds, when the doctor told him he needed a break to allow some of his severe burns to heal. They told us they'd try again Monday. The doctors decided there wasn't enough improvement and will resume radiation on Monday, April 1st. (They have also suspended chemo for the time being.) I am concerned that such a long break will allow the cancer to regrow. Anybody have a similar experience? Am I concerned for nothing? Jeff is having a really tough time right now (me too)
Thanks for your help.
Laurie

Welcome LaurieAnn. It's best not to have any breaks, if it's under your control. Sometimes it's not, such as your husband's doctor's recommendation. It can give the tumor a chance to repopulate, but the doctor is aware of this, and may work in the missed days somehow. I had a week break during hurricane Sandy, due to my hospital closing, and then missed three days due to needing a transfusion, and another for hydration. Some they made up by coming in 6 days, instead of five, and tacked the others at the end. They say for every day lost is like having one percent reduction in survival. There may be other considerations, such as the total treatment package, to keep it within a specified time, for optimal effectiveness, so the loss can be minimized. Good luck with everything.

Thanks for the information, PaulB. Our facility is only open 5 days a week so there's no way they can make up the missed treatments within the original time frame. So that's 7 days delayed. Oh crud, that's a lot! It seems like if something can go wrong it does. Jeff has been allergic to all his pain meds except hydrocodone which isn't really cutting it and he's on his 3rd PEG tube and it's still leaking. The GI doctor is talking about a 4th try, but we no longer have faith that another tube will make a difference. I don't know how you've walked this road for years when less than 3 months seems SO long.

Hi LaurieAnn, I know that this is a really distressing time for both of you. I think that you have to trust your Drs, but at the same time question everything they say. If his neck is showing signs of severe burns then a few days off to help it heal enough to then cope with the rest of the planned radiation is a good plan. This is a tricky road to walk. Remember that his rads team really does know best and will still be acting in your husbands best interests. Most people get 35 days of rads so he is already scheduled for more. Also remember that radiation keeps on working for at least 2 weeks after it is stopped, so I think the chance that this break will allow the tumour to regrow is slim. Express your fears to the rads team. Discussing these fears will help to reassure you.
Come here often for support and advice. I sure hope nothing else goes wrong for your husband.
Tammy

LaurieAnn, ask the doctors to try Neurontin or the fentanyl patch for pain meds. They may help.

Thanks everyone for the help, it's wonderful to be able to hear from people who have experienced all of this before. It's good to know we're not alone.

Tammy-I will talk to the rad team tomorrow, just to let them know our concerns

Christine-I will definitely ask the doctors about the neurontin, that's one he hasn't tried. Unfortunately, the fentanyl patch was a disaster. Jeff got confused, paranoid, dizzy, then after a couple of days he started hallucinating and vomiting. He's also had bad reactions to dilaudid, morphine, codeine and the anesthetic versed. The doctors say this is rare, but he had similar problems when he was burned.
Thanks all!

LaurieAnn
I had the worst radiation burns due to getting Erbitux which unfortunately for me worked great on blocking the growth of normal tissue instead of the cancer cells. I literally had strips of skin peeling off my face showing 3rd degree burned skin beneath. My doctor was going to stop tx also but one of his nurses had worked in a burn unit in another job. She recommended Vigilon, a miracle gel second skin. My CCC and no pharmacy carried it. With a prescription in hand we went on the Internet and found a list of medical supply houses. We had to call 10 before finding one that would sell us retail not wholesale quantity. You store it in the refrgerator and it feels like the cool kiss of an Angel bringing blessed relief. My wife put it on eac day, took it off for radiation, then put new patches on after. You can cut it with scissors to conform exactly to the burns and hold in place with gauze roll. I looked like a modern mummy but it works.
I did not find OCF until I was done and most here do not get it that bad (every day as the facts come out less and less MOs use Erbitux)
It is worth a try
Charm

Thanks Charm, that sounds like our problem exactly! Two large areas of Jeff's neck and some smaller areas of his face were blistered up then the skin started peeling away in strips. He is also being treated with Eributix. His face and neck are definitely looking better with no treatments in over a week. I will question the doctors and try to get the prescription for Vigilon today. Did the doctors discontinue the Eributix from your treatment after your problems? Hope today is better than yesterday for you.
Laurie

LaurieAnn,

My neck was a solid bloody, weeping mess. I used Domeboro and it cleared up overnight each time.

http://puredermalabama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Domeboro.pdf

Ed

I had to get a two week break in the action not for topical reasons but for my mouth to heal a bit before proceeding. I'm still here with no ill effects.