Radiation questions....

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Fighting4Popi2
Fighting4Popi2 Member Posts: 25 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hello I am the middle daughter to Popi who my sister posted on 12/11. We found out about the EC on Nov 10th and have been on task since then.. This has been a hard time for our family as you all know and I am just coming up for air to "Be a Big Girl Now"

We are doing this clinical trial with http://www.rtog.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=eqUBxcy7EJU=&tabid=213. We just completed week four of Chemo today!!! Only 2 more left...

Question one-Anybody else on this or been offered this as an option??

Question two-We are about 1/2 through Rad and we were told they will start to rotate to hit other sides of the cancer??? I have not read anyone talk of this....

Question three-For those we are surgical, when did you get PET and CT to check on effectiveness of the treatment?? End of Chemo/Rad, weeks after???

Question Four-Anyone treated at Karmanos in Detroit???

Prayers to you all for healing!!!
-Lynn
Middle Daughter of Popi T3N1

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  • Rick0311
    Rick0311 Member Posts: 38
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    Radiation...
    Lynn

    I wasn’t offered any clinical trials so I can’t offer any help in that area. As for the radiation, I am not sure if the “rotate” is the same or not but when I went through radiation, I would go in and lay on the table on my back and the nurse and the technician would line the machine up with all of the blue dots they had tattooed on me. I still have the dots, 2 on each side and 1 center front. They would get me all settled in and then set the frame of the machine lens to the design the Doc had come up with. It would start directly above me and as it was explained to me, I would get a shot of radiation and then the head would rotate giving me a dose of radiation on each side, from the top for the front and underneath through the back. So the head of the machine actually rotated around me providing radiation from different angles. It worked, it shrank the tumor and chemo did the rest before the surgery.

    As for the PET/CT scans, I had a PET scan about 2 weeks after I finished my fourth and final round of chemo. I was treated with cisplatin and 5FU in 4 rounds. The cisplatin was in one sitting but the 5FU was on a 5 day pump. I hope this helps some.

    Will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.

    Stay Strong

    Richard (Rick) Watson
    Neoga, Illinois

    DX – 0411
    EC – T2N1M0
    MIE – 083111
    Barnes Hospital, St Louis
    Dr Brian Meyer
    NED

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