Radiation and the elderly

Norita

My grandmother is 84 and will start radiation soon. My grandmother does not speak English, so she depends on me to translate and to keep her inform.

ashly1959

Hi,

What's your question????

ravdeb

I guess your question is how elderly respond to radiation treatments? If so..I do know that it's easier on them than chemo. Radiation is really not that hard except for the skin problems that arise and fatigue.

nycmom

I would ask whether at her age it is necessary. When my mother was about 80, she had radiation for B.C. She is now 84. I think in the middle of treatment, a study came out that said radiation was not necessary for that age group.

misspinky

IM 75 and my doc gave me the option to have RADS or not..  i listened to Primary care doc, Oncologist and radition doc.  MySurgeon said would probably not need RADS.  But to be sure we got all the tiny cancer cells I chose to have RADS for every weekday for 6 weeks. It was't so bad. But start putting Aquaphor on your breast after 1st treatment. Use it every day! You don't feel like anything is happening yet but the rads are cooking your skin. It just isnt showing yet. Never got real pain but did get a bad rash and now one white breast and one tanned. I'm now on Tamoxifen for 5 years. I'm allergic to Arimidex.