Third time around with rads

For almost a year now, I've been having pain in my left hip where I had had radiation before in 2007. After various tests, numerous visits to a pain specialist and a visit to an orthopedic surgeon, I was sent back to the radiation center where I previously had rads to the chest wall in 2004 and left hip in 2007.

I met with the radiation oncologist last Friday, and had a CT scan done this past Monday. I met with the radiation oncologist again today.

I'm going to be getting 14 treatments of low dose radiation to my left hip joint. There is a risk of necrosis to the joint with radiation,especially since I've had radiation to that area before, but since both my oncologist and the radiation oncologist believe that the cancer is starting to grow back,they believe it's worth the risk. Without radiation, if the cancer continues to spread, the bone will die anyway, so either way, I'd need surgery. I asked if this necrosis were to happen, how soon after radiation is finished would it start, and I was told in 6 months to a year. But I think it's worth trying the radiation too; as nothing else I've tried has relieved the pain, and it's really limited my daily activities. And any type of treatment for cancer has its risks.

First I have to have another CT scan, to help them line up the machine and plan my treatment. I had a few xrays today and they got the machine lined up with the marks I had from my previous radiation. For the next CT scan I'll be in a slightly different position than the one I just had Monday. My doctor wants to angle the radiation instead of doing a straight shot through to get the joint so they can avoid having the radiation go through the bowel. I'll have that scan done on November 3rd, then I should be starting the radiation shortly after that.

Except for my tumor marker being elevated the past few months, all my lab work has been fine. I still get that done once per month. Still on the monthly Zometa, and I've also been on Aromasin the past two months.