radiation side effects - uncommon?

daisydaisy

Dear all,

Hoping to get any feedback...my dear mother is at the end of her radiation treatment, 27th treatment tomorrow. It's unfortunately hitting her hard. She didn't have chemo after surgery in May, and started radiation in July. First, in the middle of it she had severe bout of sciatica, and for this reason she stopped radiation for two weeks. Now her WBC are low, she has extreme fatigue, low grade fever in the evening. Her breast is dark red and armpit is painful. She also has sore throat and cough. Our radiologist is not so concerned. I am :-( especially about the fever. Is she so unlucky to have all possible side effects? Has anyone experienced fever during rads? She also has elevated C-reactive protein and sed rate, which are inflammation markers. I so want her to feel better. Thanks everyone for readings. My best wishes to those under treatment

Hopeful82014

I'm no expert but I wonder if she's experiencing some radiation pneumonitis? (I think I remember my RO saying that radiation pneumonitis is treated with steroids.) She might also have some generalized inflammatory responses due to the radiation itself.

It's hard to celebrate the end of treatment when you don't feel very good at all, but congratulations to her, nonetheless. I hope she starts to feel better soon, although I know that things can get worse before the skin starts to heal, etc. Wishing her, and you, the best.

ChiSandy

Inflammation is not only common with radiation, it’s sort of the whole point: the beginning stage of cell destruction (specifically, the residual local tumor cells), but there is usually some collateral damage: redness, irritation, skin injury, even immunosuppression. Your mom’s side effects are on the severe side but unfortunately par for the course. She should be treated promptly for any signs of infection, whether local or systemic (antibiotics if bacterial, antivirals--if not too long after onset of symptoms--and symptom relief if viral). Lots of rest and hydration as well. Cooling towels and cabbage leaves (!) do soothe local irritation, as well as alcohol-and-fragrance-free aloe vera and emollients such as Aquaphor or calendula cream (or prescription ones like Miaderm). The RO should also write her a ‘scrip or give her samples of a triamcinolone ointment, which helped lessen my breast redness (though mine never got past moderately reddish and never hurt). She should make sure to avoid skin-on-skin contact--placing a very, very soft piece of fleece or well-laundered cotton t-shirt material between the underside of her breast and trunk--as well as any external irritants. It will get a bit worse after finishing the last treatment, but then it will more rapidly become better.