I have recently read the phrase 'lifetime dosage of Radiation'. Can anyone explain what this means? If my cancer re-occurred would I not be able to have radiotherapy again, and why not? Surely if the cancer is life-threatening, an extra dose of radiotherapy is a risk worth taking.

Hi Jenni

I was told that if my cancer came back in the same place I wouldn't be able to have radiotherapy. That's all I know

Anne

that's right,

The body tissues can only take so much RT. The rt they do get damages it and it doesn't fully recover - as those who have had rt know.
The rt itself can cause cancer so the dose has to be calculated very carefully.

tony k

Hi, Jenni

When my cancer returned to roughly the same area as the first time - it was originally in my jaw and recurred as a tumour in my cheek - I was told that I could not have radiotherapy a second time to that area because it would cause too much damage to the surrounding (healthy) tissue. This basically resulted in the second tumour being removed with a very wide margin around it so that they could be sure that they had "got" all the cancerous cells. A year on, fingers crossed, everything is going well although, like everyone, I am very closely monitored.

However, I did speak to my consultant about the once-only dose of radiation and he did say that if I got cancer somewhere else (eg breast cancer), they would be able to use radiotherapy again. Presumably there is some maximum dose that your body can take but I have no idea what that would be.

I hope this goes some way to answering your question. Hope you're doing well - it's a long, uphill struggle but speaking personally, I've come a long way in a year and I'm sure you will too.

Best wishes
Sue

Thanks everybody. I think I was concerned that if I did have a recurrence, then one method of treatment would be ruled out. It does seem strange that too much causes cancer, but in the right dose it cures it, and so it can't be given as a treatment the second time around, in case it causes what it's trying to cure!