Fever?

daisydaisy

Dear all, I have found so many nice people here, tons of inspiring stories, useful information for my mom's treatment - God bless everyone on this website!

I need help. I am a caregiver to my dear mother, who is 59 yo and was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer 3 years ago and stage 2 breast cancer almost 1 year ago. She finished rads 3 weeks ago, no chemo, only Femara. She had good results from neoadjuvant hormonal treatment with Femara - tumour shrinkage, Ki67 drop. We were quite optimistic about radiation treatment. But soon after she started rads, the problems began. We noticed inflammation blood markers (sedimentation rate) doubled and started growing. She felt very tired, and after 2-3 weeks of rads she had severe bout of sciatica - incredibly painful, she was unable to walk, so 2 weeks of tests and treatment and no rads. In that time she had full body MRI (as PET can't be done while on rads and 3 months after), nothing, thanks God, plus several MRIs and CTs of the painful area. This problem has improved more or less. She resumed rads. And at the end of her rads she started to have fever. First minor, but then higher and higher. It got to the point when she refused to eat, she complained of really sore throat, pain while swallowing, she lost weight, and all she had apart from fever was dry cough. Our radiologist said that fever was very common for liver mets. And breast cancer and colon cancer can go this way. So she had abdominal US and MRI, looks fine. She had gastroscopy, thyroid US, pelvic US, chest CT - nothing really abnormal that can produce such fever. They put her on Decadron injections - this really helps, but this is not a solution. They are certain it's disease progression somewhere. But full body MRI less than 2 months ago - it shows whole body starting from head to knees I think. I am at a loss. The plan is to have blood tested for infections and to repeat chest CT. When she is on decadron, there's no fever, no cough, one day she is off, fever is back with dry cough. If anyone could share anything about fever, I tried to search the community, but couldn't find anything. I will be taking her to a bigger city for more tests, I am so concerned. Thanks everyone for reading, I am trying to remain positive and wish all the best to patients and caregivers here, you are all amazing people. Thank you!

Rita.

KBeee

Could it be pneumonitis from rads? It would explain why the steroids would help the dry cough and fever.

Hopeful82014

That was my first thought, too. Have they looked closely at a her CT scan and x-rays with that in mind?

daisydaisy

Thank you, KBeee and Hopeful82014, once fever started, and dry cough, she immediately had chest CT, but nothing was there. Was it too soon - there is a suggestion to repeat CT, because usually radiation pneumonitis develops in a month or even later after completion of rads. I'd be happiest if this is any kind of pneumonia.

Hopeful82014

I know that ROs usually say that radiation pneumonitis shows up somewhat later, as opposed to shortly after radiation. However, I know one woman who had it shortly after completion of RT. My lung CT showed it about 1 month post-completion of RT. This all leads me to think that it's not as cut and dried as it's made out to be.