ANY experience with Forteo after "Gentle Cure" radiation?

Posted by suegsbfromtexas @suegsbfromtexas, Jun 12 11:34am

My bones are -4.8. I've had 4 spinal compression fractures. I need a strong intervention. I am pleased with what I've read about Forteo, as well as a good friend had a good experience. Yet my new rheumatologist, who I really like, is concerned as I've had two treatments of "Gentle Cure" radiation for skin cancer in '22 and '23. Ironically, this type of radiation goes only as deep as the cancer cells by using MRI. But Forteo after radiation increases your risk of Bone cancer... the $64k question is: did the radiation go to the bone? ugh... It was on bridge of nose and temple... (?). Does anyone have experience with this... specifically this type of superficial radiation?

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njx58 | @njx58 | Jun 12 12:10pm

According to Web sources, "Gentle Cure" radiation only penetrates 2-5 millimeters. And if you think about it, the lower two-thirds of your nose is cartilage, not bone. The skin on the temple is thin, but I believe the radiation therapy only goes as deep as needed. Maybe you should get some input from the dermatologist?

CaliforniaGal | @califirniagal | Jun 12 4:29pm

This is such interesting information. Since skin cancer is a side effect of some medications, I would like to know more about the situation since someday I may need gentle cure.

gently | @gently | Jun 12 5:42pm

If the radiation didn't reach your bone the cancer "theory" would not apply your bones. The thought is that because radiating tissue can cause mutations and because mutations happen when tissue is replicating, the increased replication with Forteo or Tymlos would add an extra risk. It was thought that this phenomenon was occurring in rats trialed with Forteo. Science has been disabused of this theory in discovery that the Fisker Rat was predisposed to cancer without Forteo; the recognition that the doses given the rats were many times higher than any human dosage; and the failure of a single incident of bone cancer in clinical trials plus 24 years of real world use.
My experience is not with surface radiation but with high dose radiation beams directly through the femur. While I did have radiation damage to the bone, I didn't have consequence with three plus year of daily Forteo.
The radiation damage did resolve without mutation, I think unrelated to my use of Forteo.
I do like your new rheumatologist and the package insert still retains a caution.
I hope you are able to take Forteo. It really is a wonderful drug.