Radiation for bone mets

sueinfl
sueinfl Member Posts: 258
edited August 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I hate to start a new thread that's been already covered, but searching "radiation bone mets" has yielded nothing pertinent.

What I am hoping to hear was how everyone handled the side effects. My areas getting zapped are T9, L5, a rib and the left hip. Ten treatments total. The left hip does not impact anything else, but the areas they have outlined for the spine mets is huge. I have been warned about diarrhea and a cough.

Any suggestions and experiences on keeping up with the side effects are really appreciated.

Hugs,

Sue

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  • Freya244117
    Freya244117 Member Posts: 603
    edited August 2017

    Hi Sue, I've had heaps of rads for bone mets, including all the areas you mention. Which rib is it? I had no side effects at the time, and almost instant relief from pain, usually within a few days.

    The only downside for me was having rads numerous times to my pelvic area caused problems with my bone marrow. Remember, I had a lot of rads to that area, not just one cycle.

    I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

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  • Chicagoan
    Chicagoan Member Posts: 728
    edited August 2017

    Sue,

    After a few days I had a strong burning sensation from the radiation-I took ibuprofen which helped a lot. Check with your radiologist for suggestions on what you might expect and what you can do to alleviate any side effects. Best wishes as your cancer gets zapped away!

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  • sueinfl
    sueinfl Member Posts: 258
    edited August 2017

    Freya, thank you for the positive news! The mets to T9 and L5 are causing the most discomfort. The rad onc and nurses do not predict when pain relief will arrive. Glad to hear yours was so fast! The funny part about the left hip is that all my pain is in the right hip, apparently just from long time arthritis.

    Chicagoan, thanks for the ibuprofen tip. I received the basic package of "what to expect" from the rad onc. I have just learned that I get the most helpful info from the people have spent the time "in the trenches." I don't know what I would have done without the help from everyone on these threads.

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