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Did radiation help reduce pain of bone mets?

Posted by sheridanb @sheridanb, Jun 23 12:48pm

Anyone have luck with radiation on bone mets? My husband first found about his cancer because of back pain. He had radiation last fall on parts of his back and after a few months the pain lessened. But now seems to be returning whenever he is standing or walking. MRI scheduled in a couple weeks to see if anything has changed. Not sure if the pain was less because of the radiation, or from the 12 "whole kitchen sink" chemo treatments he's had since then. Thanks.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 3 10:54am

@sheridanb, radiation can be helpful in reducing a tumor to relieve pain. How is your husband doing? Has he had the MRI yet?

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sheridanb | @sheridanb | Jul 3 11:53am

MRI is next Monday, so we'll learn more from that. Something... either the radiation or chemo... helped with the pain for several months, but it's getting worse again. I've encouraged him to take more gabapentin as the dr said the dose he is at is low. But, he's hating all the pills and at this point is saying he doesn't want to take more. He probably will when the doctor tells him to take more.

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sheridanb | @sheridanb | Jul 17 2:14pm

Confusing MRI results. When we met with the radiation oncologist he first said that the disease had progressed through the bones along the spine. He suggested radiation.
But by the time we got home 1.5 hours later, he had called with a complete reversal of his take on the MRIs. He said it made no sense that the tumors in pancreas, lungs, lymph nodes were looking better and the CA19-9 results were looking better... but the bones were worse. So he went back through scans through last fall and decided now that there was an increase in severity of the bone tumors last winter, but after January, the bones have not looked worse. Dan's chemo started in December, so he is feeling the chemo did stop progression of the cancer. And he has cancelled the need for radiation.
My husband was disappointed in the radiation cancellation as he was hoping that would help with back pain that he endures if he is standing/walking for more than 15 minutes. The doctor upped the amount of gabapentine he is taking, so we'll see if that will help. The back pain is obviously very limiting on what he can do, so he mainly sits or lays down. For a previously very active guy, this has been very difficult.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 24 2:22pm
In reply to @sheridanb "Confusing MRI results. When we met with the radiation oncologist he first said that the disease..." + (show)
@sheridanb

Confusing MRI results. When we met with the radiation oncologist he first said that the disease had progressed through the bones along the spine. He suggested radiation.
But by the time we got home 1.5 hours later, he had called with a complete reversal of his take on the MRIs. He said it made no sense that the tumors in pancreas, lungs, lymph nodes were looking better and the CA19-9 results were looking better... but the bones were worse. So he went back through scans through last fall and decided now that there was an increase in severity of the bone tumors last winter, but after January, the bones have not looked worse. Dan's chemo started in December, so he is feeling the chemo did stop progression of the cancer. And he has cancelled the need for radiation.
My husband was disappointed in the radiation cancellation as he was hoping that would help with back pain that he endures if he is standing/walking for more than 15 minutes. The doctor upped the amount of gabapentine he is taking, so we'll see if that will help. The back pain is obviously very limiting on what he can do, so he mainly sits or lays down. For a previously very active guy, this has been very difficult.

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@sheridanb, a reversal of opinion is unnerving. Although this sounds overall like the current treatment did its job of stopping progression.

But the pain remains a challenge. It sounds like it is debilitating. Has the increased dose of gabapentin helped? Does your husband see a pain specialist? Did you have a chance to discuss palliative radiation as a treatment for pain reduction?

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sheridanb | @sheridanb | Jul 24 2:47pm

Spoke with the oncologist yesterday about it and he is going to explore what options will be available to help the back pain.

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