chemo and radiation

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tao94539
tao94539 Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
My mom will finish chemo treatment, and will take onradiation, can people who have both treatment explain to me the difference between them? will patient fell better with radiation than chemo?
Thanks

Comments

  • michaelcie
    michaelcie CSN Member Posts: 133
    #2
    I had both chemo and radiation. I think that the radiation is a preventative measure to make sure that the tumor is dead. It increases your chances against reoccurance. Mike
  • michaelcie
    michaelcie CSN Member Posts: 133
    #3
    michaelcie said:

    I had both chemo and radiation. I think that the radiation is a preventative measure to make sure that the tumor is dead. It increases your chances against reoccurance. Mike

    I am sorry, I didn't address the question about feeling better.It depends on where she receives the radiation too, if by her esophogus , it might be uncomfortable , also radiation will fatigue you and may affect white blood counts, tell her to hang in there , she will beat this damn disease. Bless and in my prayers, mike
  • janmotel
    janmotel Member Posts: 3
    #4
    yes alot i think chemo is worse than radiation chemo makes you sick and weak and radiation kinda burns
  • tao94539
    tao94539 Member Posts: 13
    #5
    janmotel said:

    yes alot i think chemo is worse than radiation chemo makes you sick and weak and radiation kinda burns

    Thanks, Jan, michael,my mom will take 7 weeks radiation, hopefully she feels OK
  • gdpawel
    gdpawel CSN Member Posts: 523 Member
    #6
    According to NCI, introduction of effective combination chemotherapy with or without chest radiation has led to improvement in median survival (not long term survival) compared with survival of untreated patients and a small fraction of patients in whom the tumor was permanently eradicated.

    Taxol appears to increase the risk of lung inflammation and researchers reported in the December 5, 2001 Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggesting using it with caution. It is sometimes used along with radiation treatments since it is thought the drug might enhance the radiation effects. The combination may cause more problems than it solves, like radiation pneumonitis.

    Radiation pneumonitis is a lung inflammation that occurs from radiation. It may develop about eight weeks after completing a course of radiation. Taxol increases the chance of having this problem. Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and a severe, dry cough. Radiation pneumonitis may normally be rare, but researchers have found out that it is much more common in patients who receive Taxol, and since Taxol has not been shown to have any clear benefit, suggest using it with caution.

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