[Little Monkey]

Radiation for bone pain

by Little Monkey on Sun May 08, 2016 2:56 pm

Has anyone here ever done radiation as a measure to control bone pain?

If so, what were the results?

[Multibilly]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by Multibilly on Sun May 08, 2016 4:10 pm

LM,

Pat Killingsworth used to take advantage of radiation treatments quite a bit to help control his bone pain. See:

https://myelomabeacon.org/headline/2014/09/11/pats-place-give-radiation-therapy-a-chance/

[Little Monkey]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by Little Monkey on Sun May 08, 2016 6:59 pm

Thanks Billy

[NStewart]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by NStewart on Mon May 09, 2016 3:34 pm

I had radiation to my left fibula, little bone next to the tibia in the lower leg, that had a symptomatic bone lesion. I had 10/10 pain in the area all of the time. With 6 sessions of radiation to the area, the bone pain gradually decreased and then resolved. I now only have an ache in that area when I get over fatigued or am sick.

Nancy in Phila

[Little Monkey]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by Little Monkey on Mon May 09, 2016 9:42 pm

Thanks for the replies. I will suggest that my dad bring this up with his haematologist for something to consider, maybe for when he is done with his chemo.

[NStewart]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by NStewart on Tue May 10, 2016 8:53 pm

It can be done while doing chemo. If your father has bone pain that isn't improving as his myeloma numbers improve, then it is wise to mention it to his doctor. Ask about the possibility of using radiation to help the bone pain. Radiation is considered one of the palliative practices for bone pain.

Nancy in Phila

[GaryH]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by GaryH on Wed May 11, 2016 11:12 am

I have had lots of radiation on my spine (top to bottom), humeri, scapula. It has worked to relieve the pain and to help shrink the tumors. One has to separate bone pain from muscle pain, as they can both be similar. CTs usually help.

[Little Monkey]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by Little Monkey on Wed May 11, 2016 12:57 pm

Thanks Gary,

No problems in getting the province to cover radiation treatment for pain control I would assume?

[GaryH]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by GaryH on Thu May 12, 2016 1:48 pm

This was through the BC cancer agency and it was all covered. Ontario should have similar, provided it is ordered by a cancer doctor.

[Bob_D]

Re: Radiation for bone pain

by Bob_D on Mon Jul 11, 2016 6:26 pm

I had bone pain that felt like a bruise or soreness in localized areas of my body, so I suspected bone weakness due to lesions. After an MRI showed I had lesions in my spine and sacrum, I had them treated with 2000 units of radiation (400 per day over 5 days) in middle of June 2016, and by 4th of July I was walking, hiking, and biking without the bone pain I had before the treatment.

I still have a lot of muscle stiffness, which requires as much stretching as possible, but the bone pain is gone for now.

I was told by the radiologist that the radiation killed the cancer cells within the lesions and it would take about 2 weeks to feel relief. They also said it is not recommended to radiate a lesion more than once, but also I found out that new lesions can form over time, so whenever I have new bone pain I will get an MRI to find the new lesion(s) and have it (them) radiated..

If you have spine and vertebra compression, radiation may not relieve this kind of bone pain since it is structural problems in the spine. Kyphoplasty may stop further bone fractures that cause pain, but if the compression (loss of height) is not too bad, the spine may heal slowly overtime and the pain should eventually go away.