induced cancer by RT adn CT scans

If you are to have a full CT scan rather than just a simple x ray before each fraction, I would seek clarification on the need for this because radiation from scans takes in all your pelvic area rather being targeted to the specific area of your Prostate and as you say with more CT scans there is a small risk of initiating other cancers. When I had my IMRT the study protocol said one CT scan would be given each week but this did not happen. I asked the radiologist why and was told that I was having a lot of RT already and frequent unnecessary radiation from CT scans was to be avoided and that the CT scans I did have during treatment showed correct positioning.

I think I had two while the treatment was ongoing. They were checking the bladder was full and the bowels empty. Perhaps they may carry out more scans on men who have difficulty presenting with the full bladder and empty bowels

Bri

I had a pre-scan every day. They never told me why and I never asked, although I was aware fellow patients only had them once a week or so. I think it depends very much on the location and size of your particular tumours and whether your prostrate tends to move from day to day as the purpose, as well as confirming the state of bladder and bowels, is to ensure the radiation is directed accurately at the cancer. Although they used my three tattoo marks for initial alignment I found they often did a small tweak to my position on the table after the pre-scan.

This technique is called tomotherapy (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomotherapy) and the details will depend very much on what LINAC machine they are using. Getting hard information about dose levels from CT scanners and tomotherapy seems difficult and it all seems based on statistics. But presumably the theory is that the benefits outweigh the risks, probably by a huge margin - and let's face it, it is far more important to get the radiation beam accurately pointed where it is needed than worry about probably much lower risks from the CT element.

has anyone links to dangers of induced cancer by rt,ct, or similar, before I see my radiologists.

" In the treatment of prostate cancer, the risk of dying from a secondary radiation-induced bladder cancer may be greater than the risk of dying from the primary prostatic tumor following surgery or watchful waiting. "

Wish I has ben aware of this before. It probably would have changed my option of treatment.

Thanks Man with PC. Good link, good information. I will speak to my radiologists.

Essentially I go along with Dave. Would also add are you more likely to recover from damaged cells now than when older? Dave is a good example there as would he have recovered so well if he had been 10 years older?

When I first read your post I sensed understandable RT nerves?

Ray

Edited by member 22 Sep 2016 at 18:51  | Reason: Not specified

slightly reassured last session by the radiologist, that the 37 mini ct scans I have add up to one half a full ct scan.

Still have the worries about the induced from radiotherapy tho. I am going to see if there will be active surveillance for bladder and rectal cancer for the first 5 years post.

sorry, I meant at my last session, not my last session. Only one week in. So far so good, but told it starts to affect after about 3 weeks.
Fingers crossed.

WoW , Steve, just read about your heart attacks,, never rains but absolutely chucks it down on you. Suffering a bit of stress myself, and have a treatment review tomorrow. I will bring that up.
All the best
Paul.