Radiotherapy?

I have finished all the chemo/ radiotherapy treatment. and was feeling ok.
Just been told that due to radiotherapy treatment a problem has ocurred. No pulse in the left wrist and blood pressure very very low. Right arm OK.
Is radiotherapy still an unknown regards problems. Asit is now nearly 2 years and this has occured.
any thoughts on this

many thanks

In order to best answer this question some additional information really would be needed. First, what was the site that you were treated for? Second, was your left arm in the treatment field at all? Third, did you have an operation that involved your left side at all?

With out knowing the answers to these questions the best I can do for you is to make a few scenario's or assumptions:
A. If you had surgery on that side of your body, there is a chance that it may have involved some nerves or even some of the lymphatics, in which case things may tighten up or you may experience some swelling which could potentially lead to your symptons.
B. Lets assume that you were treated on your Left side, and the brachialplexus may have been involved in the radiation treatment field. There is a slight potential for some late effects from the radiation to those nerves and thus you may be experiencing this phenomenon.

I wish I could help you further, but in only being able to make certain assumptions this is the best I can do for you. If you want to know more about brachial plexus and the location, look here: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...

It will at least give you a beginning point to see if this area was in the treatment field.

Yes, radiotherapy can cause low blood pressure. Here is why. We have two types of metabolism that we go through each day: catabolic and anabolic.

When a person is subjected to radiation, however, their metabolism can tend to be too catabolic. This catabolic imbalance can grow more prominent as time passes.

Low blood pressure is a symptom of an overly catabolic metabolism. Unfortunately, your doctor is not going to be aware of any the impact of an overly catabolic metabolism.

Here are the things I would take to help correct it:

1- Large doses of evening primrose oil. This will help with adjusting the metabolism.

2- Large doses of apple pectin. Helps to complete getting radiation out of the body.

3- Any seaweed product. Helps to remove radiation out.

4- Niacin (Vitamin b-3) start with a small dose and work up to your tolerance level. You want to feel a slight tingle. This was used to treat Chernobyl victims. (And it's anabolic!)

Good luck and be well.

Kelley

There is no known cure for the over 200 different types of cancer. Any treatment that you receive is in the hopes of putting that cancer into remission on an individual basis only. Thus, there is no guarantee that any of this treatment will work for an individual . . because there is no cure!

So, actually the answer is that you took a chance when you underwent radiotherapy. All treatment is a chance to continue living and that is the trade off . . yes, cancer is a brutal disease and it is not surprising that brutal treatments are needed to stop this horrid disease. There are side effects to all cancer treatments, including radiation . . some may be permanent, but also may be treatable.

The questions you will need to resolve is if the inconvenience of this 'new' medical issue was worth your life? With cancer those are the questions that will always need to be determined on an individual basis. We were fortunate enough to have a pediatric oncologist explain these issues to us . . she basically said that with treatment they may be able to 'cure' the disease, but the problem is always keeping the patient alive while doing this and minimizing as much as possible any late side effects. Thus, cancer treatment is not a guarantee but a trade off . . which is better for the individual . . treatment or no treatment . . quantity or life vs quality of life. Those are not easy decisions to make.

Sorry about you current medical problem and I hope that you can find a solution that you can live with . . and the key is that you are alive.

Go back to your doctor and work with him as a team to try and resolve this problem. The more information that is learned from each individual in regards to side effects and treatments will add to our body of knowledge.

Best wishes to you.

What xrtmanager said!!