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Chronic pain after radiation for Stage IV Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Sep 24, 2022 | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
@vlpr- Welcome to Mayo Clinic's Connect. My name is Merry and I am the Mentor for the Lung Cancer Group. I'd like to have Colleen move this post to the Lung Cancer Group.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/lung-cancer/
When you had radiation, prior to the 1970s the dose was very much higher than it is now. Studies showed that it also could cause lung cancer in women years later. Sound like you?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8007020/
I'm sorry that you have joined a very busy group of people who are now dealing with all stages of lung cancer. I find it very curious that years later, yours is 61 years, can come back and slap you in the lungs! The type of radiation that usually does this is called ionizing radiation. (Energy emitted from a source is generally referred to as radiation. Examples include heat or light from the sun, microwaves from an oven, X rays from an X-ray tube and gamma rays from radioactive elements. Ionizing radiation can remove electrons from the atoms, i.e. it can ionize atoms.Oct 26, 2020
Radiation: Ionizing radiation - WHO | World Health Organization)
If it's ok with you I'd like to ask a few questions. When did you have your CT scan and or PET scan to determine that you have lung cancer? Have any dates been set up for further testing or treatment?
Merry
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My radiation for breast cancer was in 1991 when we were living in CA. I had tubular carcinoma of the left breast which was discovered early. I was treated with a lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation.
For the occurrence of SCLC, I had my initial CT and PET scans July 16-17 when I had been admitted to Munson Hospital in Traverse City, MI for severe pains mimicking a heart attack. The biopsy of the tumor was done during that time. I was diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma. It is in the lymph nodes, though it did not show up elsewhere.
I returned to our home in Florida a month earlier than planned. I am working with Dr. Zhao in the lung cancer clinic at Mayo Jacksonville. My initial visit with her was 08-05-22. A repeat of the PET scan at Mayo shows further involvement of the lymph nodes. I had a biopsy of one of the nodes in my neck above the left clavicle today, Aug-17-22. I am still having visits with specialists and tests are being done to determine the correct treatments for me. I have not started any treatments or lifestyle changes other than limiting my fluid intake so my sodium levels stay up. I also find I need to slow down as I lose my breath. I am quite hoarse. I'm told that is from the tumor pushing on the larynx.