Talking about Radiation Therapy

Today, we went to the CTRC to consult with Doc E, the pediatric specialist at CTRC's Radiation Oncology, about what would be entailed in radiation therapy. His resident, Doc C, came to go over Alan's history with us. According to the nurses, Doc C was very impatient to see us, wanting us in a room as soon as possible.

Doc C, sporting cowboy boots under her scrubs, talked to us about how they would prepare Alan for radiation therapy. They would make a mask/mold of his torso that would hold him in the same position for each treatment. Then they would do a CT "dress rehearsal" to map the application of the radiation.

Doc E came to talk to us about the risks of radiation therapy. The immediate effects while he was undergoing treatment would be mild to minimal - possible skin burn, diarrhea. In fact, the radiation would go a long way in managing and eliminating Alan's pain. Long term risks from the exposure to radiation, especially given the site of Alan's tumor could include secondary cancer as an adult, and sterility. Frankly, if he makes it to have those problems, we will be grateful. Those are not worst-case scenarios.

The actual treatment would only take ten minutes a day. Of course, since Alan would need anesthesia, we're looking at several hours in practical terms. Doc E recommends Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) because the radiation can literally be molded to the precise size and shape the tumor. The CTRC is has been using this technique since 1996 and is one of the most experienced IMRT centers in the world. Proton has a lot of advantages though we were surprised to find out that it's still considered experimental treatment. Since it uses less radiation, it's reasonable to assume that the long term side effects would be less. Since it is such a new treatment, there simply isn't the data yet to confirm this.

The consultation with Doc E went a long way to easing our fears about conventional radiation therapy.