How successful is Radiotherapy?

A family member who has recently been diagnosed with emphasemia has today been told that a lump pressing on his lung under his rib cage is cancerous - they will be staring radiotherapy monday.

Success rates depend on what type and what stage of cancer. Sometimes radiotherapy is used with curative goals, sometimes with preventative goals and sometimes for palliative pain control. Give us more details about what cancer, what stage, what type radiotherapy and whether the person has failed previous therapies and someone could give you a YA guess as to success rates. Or you could ask your radiation oncologist and get a much better answer. good luck

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/defaul...

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/...

In the situation you describe the radiotherapy is to treat symptoms and to hopefully buy extra time. It will not be curative. The amount of time will depend on tumor growth, tolerance of side effects and the patient's wishes.

all the best

just in case here is hospice info

http://www.hospicenet.org/index.html

http://www.hospicenet.org/html/preparing...

It sounds as if this is a very advanced cancer.Radiation will work to shrink the tumor and give your relative relief.Please do not forget that hospice is also an option as radiation treatments are done m-f and my guess is they will receive anywhere from 10-30 treatments depending on how the Radiation Oncologist is treating this.Start the radiation and see how it goes.Some patients have relieve after 3 or 4 treatments.If you feel this is not helping,you always have the right to quit treatments.However,this will not be a cure and I wish you the best.

As you've heard from two people already, radiation is not successful if you define success as saving the person's life. Most people would define it that way...as well they should.

The radiation oncologist who wrote the foreword to my book told me he knew who would survive and who wouldn't based on their disease.

If radiation were the only option that would be one thing. It's not, however.

I cured myself of Stage 4 cancer in two weeks. That was nine years ago. I used freshly grated habeneros peppers and freshly grated garlic. I put them on bread and covered them with butter.

I also took a tablespoon of mint flavored emulsified cod liver oil (Twin Lab). If I'd been losing weight or retaining fluid, I would have used evening primrose oil in place of the cod liver oil.

This was not a wacky approach. About a year ago, researchers at UCLA found that hot peppers shrank tumors an average of 80%.

That was accomplished without the benefit of the garlic.

Cancer is a weak cell. It loves to retreat and does so naturally when confronted with the right stuff.

Good luck and be well.

Kelley

I was 19 when diagnosed with Breast cancer. I had radiation treatment and I am not 3 years cancer free. However, treatments effect people diffrently. It depends on how far along that cancer is, where it is located and many other factors. But take some comfort in knowing they are doing radiation instead of chemo. If they felt the radiation would not be successful they would pick a stronger method (chemotherapy). i will keep your family in my thoughts and wish for a speedy recovery!