Anal Cancer and Radiation

I'm sorry you have a reason to be here and I hope that, other than the problems you mentioned in your post, you are doing well.  I have hip pain off and on, but have never had the pain in the inner thighs that you describe, unless I try to stretch too much.  I do not have the hip abduction or adduction that I used to have and sometimes when I move my legs in those motions, I can elicit pain, which I believe is totally muscular and nothing serious.  If yours is an aching pain that does not come on with activity or never goes away, then it's good that you are getting checked out.  Anyone that has pain in their bones after this treatment definitely needs further evaluation, but yours doesn't sound like bone pain, am I correct? 

Radiation, IMO, can cause all kinds of problems post-treatment.  However, I think a lot of doctors dismiss these complaints and do not think they are in any way related.  I don't see how that can be, since so many people posting on this board and others who have been treated for AC with radiation have similar problems.

I hope you can get some answers and that it's nothing serious.  Please let us know. 

geneviasue said:

Hip Pain

Hello,

Thought I would share that I went through female physical therapy after my radiation and almost had to quit because of my hip pain. My therapist suggested I have my Vitamin D checked. I did, it was low and not even bad low either. I got a prescription for 50000 iu per week for 8 weeks. After the first week, I was almost back to normal and improved every week since. I take 2000 iu per week now as maintenance and I have little to no hip pain now. No more than any 47 year old. Hope this helps.

I finished treatment in Dec 2012 btw.

Many blessings to you,

GiGi

 

Thanks GiGi - I have hip/thigh pain too, especially when walking more than about 250 feet. Everything cramps up terribly. Never had any problem prior to treatment and a 2 month hospital stay due to side effects. I know I don't get enough Vitamin D anyway so I think I'll start taking some.

I had a lot of tightness in the hip & thigh area shortly after treatment.  (I finished chemo/rad. in March 2013.)  I would not call it pain so much as tightness or muscle soreness.  I never ask the doctors about it, I just decided to get back in to exercising by taking a yoga class.  I take a gentle yoga class once a week.  The focus is on stretching and relaxation.  I noticed a difference after just 1 or 2 classes and have gradually come to the point where I no longer have the stiffness & tightness (unless I miss a class for a week or 2).  Two months after finishing radiation,  I had a pevlic/abdominal MRI as part of follow-up monitoring.  The MRI noted myositis (muscle inflammation) in the pelvis which according to the report "are expected changes following recent radiation therapy." From what I've seen from this site and personal experience is there are many after-affects that no one told us about.  Good Luck!

luckieslady,I have hip and pelvic pain most of the time. I even feel crampy and sore at times.  Sometimes worse than others.  My RAD Onc said definitely from treatment.  Very common.  I had 30 radiation treatments and an extended field into the abdomen.  My hips are stiff and my thighs always feel tight.  If I sit too long I'm really stiff when I stand up.  I flip and flop alot at night because I get hip and pelvic discomfort.  Last weekend I went to a football game at my daughter's college. I had to walk REALLY far from where we parked and then WAY up the stands to where out seats were.  The first thing I thought was "Oh, I'm going to pay for this later".  Surprisingly I felt pretty good.  In fact I slept well and felt good the next day.  I think the exercise was good for me.  After last weekend I decided to start lightly back to some of the exercise I used to do such as Zumba, stationary bike, etc... I'm noticing that I feel better when exercising.  I agree with others on here that are saying that movement and exercise help.  My treatment ended in April 2013.  I had many issues after treatment and was hospitalized so my muscles were very weak.  However, I know that my hip and pelvic area are damaged from radiation.  If I'm sitting on the floor (if I can even get down there, lol) I am awkward and slow getting up.  I did have a petscan fairly recently and it was clear, so I pretty much know my problems are side effects from the treatment.  Glad your getting the MRI and CT Scan though. 

Test111 said:

Pelvic radiation

Radiation (5 weeks) and chemo in 2012.  Severe pain in the hips and joints after treatment with resulting stiffness and limited range of motion...pain improves with time.   One month after end of chemo I developed pain in the lower back.  Have since had 5 MRIs.  Multiple sacral factures including the right and left sacral ala.  Fractures have not healed.

Test111 I asked my Oncologist for a script for a bone density report and it revealed that I have lower (very lower) back osteroporisis between 1st and fourth vertebrae. Your post concerns me.

But to all of us I have to say, though that for more than a year after treatment a year and a half at least I sufferred from a lot of aches and pain in my hips (like hot molten lava sometimes) and wild pain in my inner thighs when stretching even a little bit. I did Tai Chi throughout treatment and continued to do it. Tai Chi does not believe in pushing through pain but listening to it and backing off to where it is no more, learning from each movement. This suited me really well. Some days I would do 1.5 hours other days 15 minutes at least five days a week.

Now Two years from last tx I have been doing kickboxing, zumba, aquarobics, Vinyassa Yoga and now Bikram Yoga 1.5 hour classes which is in a 105 degree heated room. They believe is pushing into the pain within reason. This last exercise discovery is very addictive. I had to give up for now the swimming and any class with music since it almost is always too loud and I only have one ear left which gets inflamed from ear plugs, water and I won't expose my ear to the decibals. I have lymphedema from the cancers and treatments and part of staying on top of it for me is to keep moving, along with doing Manual Lymphatic Drainage on myself and wearing compression garments from toes to chest. But I had to drag my right leg, particularly, and both legs felt terribly heavy and my back hurt moving them. I am in so much better shape now.

Keep resting and moving and stretching, repeat. I hope this was helpful.

Next week I am going to a class at MSK for survivors of anal cancer. I will let you know what I found out.

I have a Rehabilitation Doctor who is a Physiologist at MSK. My Radiation Oncologist did not want to hear of any problems after he saved my life. That's just the way they are. The rehabilitation people have the answers for us. Lymphedema in my Pelvis, I now realize was causing some or most of my pain.

All the best,

Sandy