radiation 4 90 year old

Phoebesnow

Please advise expected symptoms for radiation to lungs 15 treatments @ 10 minutes per session for 3 weeks mon-FRi. No chemo or surgery planned. She is 90. We have been watching growth for one year, no spread, growth minimal. Only reason we are doing radiation because tumor is starting to block airway, which will cause pneumonia and then death. There are 3 tumors in line, so they feel the radiation field will be contained and not bother esphogaus.

Is there anything that we can do in advance to prepare her for radiation.

Best regards

Carrol

plh4gail

Carrol I don't know about
Carrol I don't know about this, my situation was different. I hope someone else can tell you something. Just wanted you to know I will be thinking about your loved one.

Gail

Sundanceh

Carrol
Hi Carrol

There's really nothing that I know about that you can to prepare for radiation treatments. The radiation staff will prepare the patient with markings and body alignment for the treatments. They use a tatoo gun to mark the spots they are going to radiate. They are very small, green, and not very noticeable.

Other than the prep day, the patient shows up for treatment and gets into position on the table and then the radiation tech runs the program that was designed.

I did 25 when I was 43 and did 30 more when I was 49. The radiation does have a cumulative effect and builds up with each treatment.

Fatigue is one of the side effects that will affect patients the most. At your mom's age, even 15 treatments will probably make her tired and lethargic. The only prescription for this is to let her rest. Side effects ususally continue 2-4 weeks after treatment ends.

If the area they are radiating starts to get a little red or burned, have the onc prescribe some type of cream to help ease that condition.

Wishing you the best - and if Mom needs to rest, then just let her. That's the best thing to do right there. Radiation is hard on the body.

-Craig