Radiation on the brain

[Shannon]

Hi my mother is diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer which has travelled to her brain. She has been booked into get radiation on her brain. I would like to hear from someone who has been through radiation on the brain or who has supported someone through it. We would like to know the severity of the side effects, if it causes appetite loss? Would just love to hear from someone who has experienced it first hand.

[DG]

Hey Shannon sorry to hear your news regarding your mum, I'm sorry i cant be of much help to you with the diagnosis as i have a different cancer, bowel cancer but i do hope someone who can support you and know some of what you are going through comes along to chat, I hope things improve for your mum, much love Deb's xx

[Mango]

Hi My husband had a course of radiation for a brain tumour. He was at work while he did it just taking enough time off to do the treatments. Fatigue was the biggest issue. We were very liberal with Vitamin e cream so skin effects were minimal. His hair did fall out though. The mask and how tight it was was the biggest problem. All in all pretty well tolerable so do not have too many concerns.

[fishinabowl]

Hi, my partner has had brain radiation Fatigue set in in the last week or so of treatment, and for a few weeks afterwards. Some hair, but not all, fell out. He ended up with a rather cute mix of curly and straight hair. There was no nausea and little impact on appetite. But one thing I'd watch for is dental problems. After a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums, my partner ended up with 11 fillings within six months of treatment and I think in the two years since it is now up to about 20 - we've lost count. He'd never needed a filling previously. The dentist did say radiation can hit the saliva glands and his pattern of tooth decay suggested that cause. Mind you, we've since heard that some chemo drugs can also have that effect. It may be worth her visiting a dentist beforehand and taking extra care of her teeth afterwards, or at least asking the radiation oncologist about it.

[dawnvasjuta]

Hi Shannon, My dad who is 71 years old was diagnosed with Lung Cancer in 2007. Lucky it was only one small tumour & he had surgery to remove the lower lobe of his lung & there was no signs of cancer in any lymph nodes. In 2009 he had a seizure & they found a secondary tumour in the brain. This was successfully removed then followed by whole brain radiation. He coped very well with the radiation mostly suffered from fatigue & hives. He has had problems with his short term memory since the surgery. The long term side effects are that he has lost most of his hearing, balance with his walking and that's about it. At his last checkup last month i asked his doctor about the side effects & he told me that they really dont have any research as he is the 1 in 100 that has gone into remission. My dad never asked doctors throughout his treatment what the prognosis was. It was like he thought if he didn't ask they couldn't tell him bad news. Made me believe in positive thinking! It has inspired me with my battle with Lymphoma