Radiotherapy saves millions from cancer but can inflict cruel damage, now, at last, there may be....

As someone who has delayed having radiation therapy, I thought this article may be of interest to others..

"The aim of the treatment, known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), was to heal the internal damage caused to his bladder and bowel when he received radiotherapy for prostate cancer 17 years earlier."....

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1311768/Radiotherapy-saves-millions-cancer-inflict-cruel-damage-answer-.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0zSG6s5kL

I looked into hyperbaric treatments in conjunction with my SRT, to avoid bowel issues I was afraid I would have since I have colitis in addition to prostate cancer. I found a local treatment center. $220 per treatment, 5 per week, about 2 hours per treatment - that was going to be more of a time investment than the radiation, and insurance would not cover. I am still open to it, but so far I have not had bowel issues with the radiation. I think with the advent of IGRT and the ability to avoid a large dose to nearby organs, there might be less of an argument for this. I would think that using it concurrently with the radiation might be more beneficial than getting treatments long afterwards, like the patient in the article did.

I asked my rad oncologist about it, and his reply was "we are going to try to minimize the dosage to your bowels, you should not need this."
Jeff

Jeff - my radiation oncologist gave me the same pep talk about how they weren't targeting certain areas, etc, but it didn't prevent what has happened to me.

Tony - not saying I am the only one here at HW, but would have to one of few that have been through major radiation twice. What I had 11 years ago in my neck/throat was very brutal - both during the administration of the radiation and with side effects - so that I carry to this day. I certainly didn't expect so much problems this time around with IMRT, but it is what it is

boy, mal, that was a mouthful, say that phrase 3x in a row, lol. gotta love those medical terms. but sorry you are still having that issue.

I had hyperbaric for osteomyelitis in my femur. Quite an ordeal. In a 3 foot diameter tube type enclosure that takes you "down" to the equivalent of 1 atmosphere. If you are clostrophobic, forget it. After you pop your ears a couple of times, you can read for an hour until they take you "up".

Promotes healing by forcing oxygen into the tissues.

You know, we all have our little fear buttons that influence what we do as much as reading and logic. This thread reminds me of one of mine.

1. For me, it wasn't the prostate cancer. Even though I have seen what advanced metastatic prostate cancer can do to people, I knew deep down it my gut that it's common and mine was slow growing and wouldn't kill me for a long long time, and everybody eventually dies from something.

2. For me, it wasn't surgery. I had gone through major surgery once with flying colors, and have an unrealistic faith in my ability to recover from any operation.

3. For me, it wasn't pain. I was born with a pretty good pain tolerance (see #2).

For me, my fear button is radiation. I've seen the late (10+ years) effects of radiation in those who had problems with it. My aunt had whole chest radiation in a misguided attempt to treat a chronic lung infection in the 1930s (before the antibiotic era) and got two different cancers in the radiation field, decades later. I've seen radiation fibrosis and scarring. I've seen strokes from vasculopathy and dementia in people who've beaten the odds and lived many years after radiation treatment of their brain tumors. It slowly gets worse over the years, and has no treatment. To me, radiation seems like it should be a big gun treatment for a rapidly progressing cancer that's on the verge of killing you. Giving a very high radiation dose--really, they use a whole lot of rads--for slow growing prostate cancer scares me. Surgery? Cut my belly open? No problem, you'll do a good job sewing it back up, won't you doc? ED? I'll try the purple pills and maybe even that stupid pump, I've got a great wife, and we'll get through it together. Radiation? Get me the hell out of here! Right now!

I'm not telling anyone that they shouldn't consider radiation for prostate cancer, just confessing my own personal feelings about it.

Purg,

You're the man. I defer to your experience and insights.

Hi Guys,

Can't help posting about hyperbaric oxygen.  Had 50 sessions in 2009.  It definitely helped me.  I was bleeding from the rectum off and on after seed implants in Jan 2008.  Now, I rarely bleed and usually only after a hard stool.  I take metamucil at least twice daily with supplements recommended by my uro.  Blue Cross / Blue Shield and Medicare covered the treatments.  So, for those of you who are dealing with radiation proctitis, I hope you can get the hyperbaric oxygen treatments.  I am not cured, but I'm a lot better than I was.

Just by way of update.  Started Casodex Aug. 31, 2010.  Lupron doing some good, but not keeping the PSA down.  It has gradually climbed from 0.5 to 1.0 since April of 2009.

Gene in MD

TC.. I'll be appearing at Orleans AND Paris this wknd.. comped at both... I LOVE Vegas! Anyway.. I'm at the point where, with positive margins, I expect it to return. But in looking at the damage I can assure myself of with radiation, I guess my mindset is to hope upon hope that my psa level remains low until a better solution comes up.

I mean, they told me alll along that I would likely live 10 years had I done nothing.
Well I did alot more than nothing, I had my prostate removed. That was a HEAVY price.

At 51, I hate to look at it like - OK, i'll take 10 more years of where I am now - instead of 15 years of bleeding and hurting. But that's what i'm thinking.

ISN'T THERE SOMEWAY WE (AND OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES) CAN FORM SOME KIND OF POLITICAL VOTING BLOCK SO THAT AT LEAST WE CAN GET SOME MONEY AND ATTENTION PAID TO THIS FRIGGEN NIGHTMARE?

Hey Hopeful in MD,

Glad to hear from you. I have wondered how you were doing.

Good luck with the Casodex/Lupron.

Tony.. would love to catch up with you, but the Mrs. is actually sending me to get away from all things cancer. That said, we're winding down here.. planning to buy in LV, so god willing, perhaps down the road we'll have an opportunity.

I guess at this point, with <.1 and not going direct to adjuvant radiation, SRT will be the next thing I face. But then the cancer will be the one with the upper hand. Until then, i'm going to feel as though I'VE got the upper hand. I agree, recurrent prostate cancer can have sever side effects, such as our demise. So i'm not counting radiation out yet, just not ready.