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Original poster

My Dad is having his brain irridated for Lung Cancer

37 replies

KatyMac · 31/10/2014 22:15

I know it's prophylactic - but can you explain why?

I know the small cell lung cancer can spread to the brain; but why do you use radiotherapy rather than scanning to see if there are problems & treating then

I know it's standard practise & that's how we do things; but could someone tell me why?

OP posts:
Annietheacrobat · 20/01/2015 00:00

Katy - I think the best thing for you to do would be to phone his lung cancer specialist nurse in the morning. There are several different medications (including steroids) that he could try.

Original poster
KatyMac · 20/01/2015 08:13

Part of his problem is that he has been relatively well until now; they have kept warning him "this bit is terrible" & this is the first time it has been

So he feels this is 'his turn' to feel rotten

I'll try & get them to ring - but they are stubborn; and because they have been signed off until March, they don't want to go back

OP posts:
Annietheacrobat · 20/01/2015 20:07

Please do. Just because a side effect is expected doesn't mean you can't do something about it .

diamondimelda · 20/01/2015 20:11

Most hospitals now have an acute oncology service. Can you ring the hospital where he had treatment and ask for advice?

Original poster
KatyMac · 20/01/2015 21:08

When he rang the hospital last week they gave him the antihistamines - he feels he needs to try then for a bit longer before he can ask for something else

Did I mention stubborn?

Thanks for trying to help

OP posts:
Annietheacrobat · 20/01/2015 21:16

Tell him mumsnet says otherwise! Seriously if they were going to help they would have done by now. He will not be being a bother. This is exactly the sort of problem we want to know about.

diamondimelda · 20/01/2015 22:00

I agree with Annie

Greencurtain · 20/01/2015 22:06

My mum finished radiotherapy on the 9th Jan. It was very hard on her. For nausea and vomiting you can get cyclizine (sp? Sorry). All you need to do to get this is go to the GP, you don't even need to go to oncology. I went for my mum and after confirming with her on the phone (she was too sick to go) they did the prescription which I picked up.

Pills 3x a day any time. Take If need to. Otherwise leave it.
Nb side effect dizzy.

Maybe he would feel happier seeing gp?

Original poster
KatyMac · 21/01/2015 01:02

That's what he is on (from the GP)

He's a man he doesn't like to complain to authority just to his nearest & dearest actually he isn't normally like that but I'm cutting him a bit of slack

OP posts:
Original poster
KatyMac · 27/01/2015 13:21

He's off for a blood test today

Thank goodness

OP posts:
lessthanBeau · 27/01/2015 22:48

my mum had this radiotherapy last year, it was much harder on her than her chemo, took her about 6 months to be back to normal, but she's fighting fit again now, last October she seemed to have turned into an old lady she's 70 but a very young 70 but she's back to her old self again now. unfortunately her tumour started to grow again so she has just completed another chemo course but she's still doing really well. they've told her it can never be cured but it is treatable. she's coming up to 2 years now since diagnosis.

Original poster
KatyMac · 29/01/2015 20:12

lessthanBeau, I'm sorry you and your family are going through this - thank you for the hope that my Dad will become his old self in time

OP posts:
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