No more radiation treatment for life after doing RT for anal cancer?

Kim Gaia
Kim Gaia Member Posts: 73
in Anal Cancer #1

Just wondered if anyone here has been told this by their doctors - that after completing radiation treatment for your anal cancer, you will not be able to do more radiation therapy anytime in your life for any future cancers because that would be too much radiation exposure. A friend of mine who was recently successfully treated with radiation for her throat cancer (which was also HPV-related Squamous Cell Carcinoma like our Anal Cancer is), was told that she could never again have radiation treatment for anything. This was her lifetime dosage allowance. She had not had previous radiation treatment for anything. So if she develops future cancers (or recurrence of this cancer), radiation is off the table as a treatment option.

Anyone here ever told this by your doctor? I have not started treatment yet, but will be asking my radiation oncologist this question.

kim

Comments

  • eihtak
    eihtak Member Posts: 1,473 Member
    #2
    Kim...

    Hi, I think this is an answer that has to be considered somewhat on an individual basis as well as accounting for the continued improvements and changes in cancer treatment that are an on going thing.

    Radiation is measured in what is called grays (units) and each area of the body can only recieve a certain amount of radiation before causing permanent damage, and...each cancer requires a certain amount of radiation to cure. So, it is my understanding that if a secondary cancer requires radiation it may in fact be possible to do that depending on the area and dose required. I have heard varying numbers on a recommended safe lifetime dose of radiation, but with newer more targeted methods, I would not rule out possible use of radiation in the future.

    It seems there are no easy answers on this journey and always more questions...

    be well, 

    katheryn

  • Kim Gaia
    Kim Gaia Member Posts: 73
    #3
    eihtak said:

    Kim...

    Hi, I think this is an answer that has to be considered somewhat on an individual basis as well as accounting for the continued improvements and changes in cancer treatment that are an on going thing.

    Radiation is measured in what is called grays (units) and each area of the body can only recieve a certain amount of radiation before causing permanent damage, and...each cancer requires a certain amount of radiation to cure. So, it is my understanding that if a secondary cancer requires radiation it may in fact be possible to do that depending on the area and dose required. I have heard varying numbers on a recommended safe lifetime dose of radiation, but with newer more targeted methods, I would not rule out possible use of radiation in the future.

    It seems there are no easy answers on this journey and always more questions...

    be well, 

    katheryn

    thanks katheryn. that makes

    thanks katheryn. that makes sense, what you say.

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #4
    Kim Gaia

    It's my understanding that more radiation is not possible in an area that has already received radiation, but that other parts of the body may be radiated if future cancers are discovered.  For example, someone who has been treated for anal cancer and is later diagnosed with breast cancer could probably receive radiation to the breast.

  • Kim Gaia
    Kim Gaia Member Posts: 73
    #5
    mp327 said:

    Kim Gaia

    It's my understanding that more radiation is not possible in an area that has already received radiation, but that other parts of the body may be radiated if future cancers are discovered.  For example, someone who has been treated for anal cancer and is later diagnosed with breast cancer could probably receive radiation to the breast.

    Thanks mp327. That does

    Thanks mp327. That does indeed make sense.

    kim

  • tanda
    tanda Member Posts: 174 Member
    edited May 2018 #6
    Kim Gaia

    Agree with mp327 and eihtak about lifetime limits of radiation.  I think it depends on the maximum allowed radiation to a particular area.

    I had a small Stage 1 breast cancer in one breast and a small area of DCIS in the other breast; I have received radiation in both breasts as well as pelvic radiation for a.c.

     

    Recently, there have been instances where if there is a very small recurrent spot in an area that was previously treated  a short term course of very targeted radiation has been possible.

    When I was being treated with pencil-beam proton radiation for a.c, I met a woman who had a tiny spot/calcification in a previously treated breast; she was receiving short term targeted proton rads. The alternative would have been a mastectomy.

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