Radiation recall

taraHK
taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had radiation for a breast met several weeks ago (who gets breast mets from colorectal cancer?!?). Just finished 3 days of chemo yesterday. Noticed I had a VERY red 'burn' on the radiation site. According to my oncologist (whom I texted last night and saw this morning) it's something called radiation recall. Chemotherapy can trigger a 'burn' on an 'old' radiation site. He has only seen one case previously in 20 years of practice (although my websurfing last night suggested it might be more common...). I am using heavy dose steroid cream 3x day. Will have to go on systemic steroids if it get worse. I am on both Gemzar and Oxaliplatin -- which apparently can both cause. My onc is guessing it's the Gemzar, although his last patient who had it, it was oxi.

Has anyone else had or heard of?

Why do I always get the weird stuff?!?

Tara

Comments

  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    #2
    Because you are special!
    You are a medical marvel- never heard of either breast mets or radiation recall. You should write yourself up a case study for an colorectal journal;)

    Steve
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #3
    steved said:

    Because you are special!
    You are a medical marvel- never heard of either breast mets or radiation recall. You should write yourself up a case study for an colorectal journal;)

    Steve

    happening!
    My oncologist is in the process of writing me up for a case study! I thought it was going to be about my blood pressure crash to Gemzar or my allergic reactions to Oxiliplatin but I guess this would make a nice footnote!

    Tara
  • steved
    steved Member Posts: 834 Member
    #4
    taraHK said:

    happening!
    My oncologist is in the process of writing me up for a case study! I thought it was going to be about my blood pressure crash to Gemzar or my allergic reactions to Oxiliplatin but I guess this would make a nice footnote!

    Tara

    Authorship
    My team are also looking to write up my case if my surgery goes well and so I have asked to be an author on the paper (as a doctor is always useful to have a range of publications but there is no reason whynonmedical patients shouldn't be recognised as an author though it does mean it is no longer anonymised).

    Isn't it great being a medical marvel!? at least it keeps the docs interested in us :)

    Steve
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #5
    steved said:

    Authorship
    My team are also looking to write up my case if my surgery goes well and so I have asked to be an author on the paper (as a doctor is always useful to have a range of publications but there is no reason whynonmedical patients shouldn't be recognised as an author though it does mean it is no longer anonymised).

    Isn't it great being a medical marvel!? at least it keeps the docs interested in us :)

    Steve

    ahhhhh Tara
    no Tara I have not heard of it.....just wanted to say hi...my reaction to 5fu was written up but that was 7 years ago.

    wishing for smoother sailing for you girl

    mags
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #6
    maglets said:

    ahhhhh Tara
    no Tara I have not heard of it.....just wanted to say hi...my reaction to 5fu was written up but that was 7 years ago.

    wishing for smoother sailing for you girl

    mags

    Steve & Tara - Two Medical Marvels
    Congratulations on being written up for your cancer cases. That is such a terrific thing to be a part of.

    On a much smaller scale than either of you, I ended up being the first patient here in North Texas to do the da Vinci robot surgery on the lung. It resulted in a brand new 1.3 million dollar da Vinci robot to be installed at the hospital.

    And of course, it broke ground and gained accreditation for the surgeon, who was given his certification for performing the surgery on me. It was big for the hospital, because it offered something new.

    And it opened up doors for other patients to have access to that surgery as well...a win-win for everyone. They wrote up the story in their medical magazine...paper did a local story...tv did a local story.

    So, it was nice to serve in that capacity and to feel like you were being a part of the greater whole. It pales in comparison to what you guys are going through, but it was a part I could play - at a time that I could play it.

    It was just an honor to be a part of it all...and it is for both of you as well. And Steve, to be able to author...just knew you'd get published before I would:)

    You guys are the ones - like it or not...you're both it.

    Congratulations again to you both and best wishes for a successful outcome.

    And Tara, Steve already said it..."you're special."

    I watch with amazement at the things you have done...if anything else happens to me that I can't deal with...like it finally makes its way to my brain...I'll be looking to you...actually, I've been looking for quite awhile now.

    -Craig
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #7
    Sundanceh said:

    Steve & Tara - Two Medical Marvels
    Congratulations on being written up for your cancer cases. That is such a terrific thing to be a part of.

    On a much smaller scale than either of you, I ended up being the first patient here in North Texas to do the da Vinci robot surgery on the lung. It resulted in a brand new 1.3 million dollar da Vinci robot to be installed at the hospital.

    And of course, it broke ground and gained accreditation for the surgeon, who was given his certification for performing the surgery on me. It was big for the hospital, because it offered something new.

    And it opened up doors for other patients to have access to that surgery as well...a win-win for everyone. They wrote up the story in their medical magazine...paper did a local story...tv did a local story.

    So, it was nice to serve in that capacity and to feel like you were being a part of the greater whole. It pales in comparison to what you guys are going through, but it was a part I could play - at a time that I could play it.

    It was just an honor to be a part of it all...and it is for both of you as well. And Steve, to be able to author...just knew you'd get published before I would:)

    You guys are the ones - like it or not...you're both it.

    Congratulations again to you both and best wishes for a successful outcome.

    And Tara, Steve already said it..."you're special."

    I watch with amazement at the things you have done...if anything else happens to me that I can't deal with...like it finally makes its way to my brain...I'll be looking to you...actually, I've been looking for quite awhile now.

    -Craig

    Hi Tara in never heard about it but I just want to send
    You a big Hug!
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #8
    combined/cumulative damage
    "radiation recall" sounds like cumulative tissue stress and depletion from the different modalities, the combined toxicity of chemo and residual radiation changes. Cells barely making it then chemo treated show some visible damage.
  • YoVita
    YoVita Member Posts: 590 Member
    #9
    You are one strong lady
    I have not heard of radiation recall but thanks to you I now know what it is. Hope your team can resolve it for you. Thanks for sticking around and sharing your experiences with the rest of us.

Discussion Boards