Any one have much success with radiation

mrou50
mrou50 Member Posts: 389 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

My pulmonary doctor wants to start radiation on the mets butting up against my trachea.  I talked to my ONC about it and he said he would like to wait a couple of months to see if the Opdivo works for me first.  He also said radiation does not always work with RCC and so I was wondering if anyone else has tried radation and did it work?  I willing to wait the two months, I mean what the hell us have I got to do right.  As I read about Opdivo though it does not always work, there is no money back gaurentee with this medication so I want to know if the radiation is a good back up plan, of if I should just say heck with and go fishing.

 

Thanks


Mark

Comments

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #2
    Mark, this is

    exactly what I'm doing and why I'm so excited. The term "abscopal effect" means that there has been evidence showing that when tumors are radiated followed by an infusion of opdiva/nivo the immune system ramps up and even more aggressively attacks other tumors that weren't radiated, and eliminates them. Just to have the drug in your system during radiation is as perfect as you're gonna get. I guarantee that this will be a very common practice. Also the radiation should be stereotactic. Stereotatic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is showing 95% control of tumors after 1 year.

  • Dutch1
    Dutch1 Member Posts: 152
    #3
    Go for it.

    I have had a good experience with radiation.  Had 5 spots (including one close to my trachea) in my chest area.  I was on Sutent at the time and the combination of the drug and radiation eliminated a couple of the spots and reduced the size of the others.  I had some problems with radiation so close to my trachea, but that healed with time.  Also did the type of radiation that I think Fox is talking about.  Go for it.

    Dutch

  • mrou50
    mrou50 Member Posts: 389 Member
    #4
    Thanks

    Thanks guys I will talk to the my ONC next week when I go in for more Opdivo and let him know I am ready when he is.

     

    Mark

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