Radium Treatment

[nailit]

My mum's had the results of her bone scan today. Unfortunately the cancer is not confined to her arm (as hoped) but is widespread as suspected.
She has to go back to oncology on Thursday and has to see if she may be suitable to receive radium therapy to give her some pain relief.
However, I've just googled radium treatment for bones and all results are suggesting that radium is used for treating men who have had prostate cancers???

Am I missing something here or have I misheard radium treatment? (my sister told me this on the phone so its a possibility)

TIA.

[sanmac]

I think the term is radiation therapy not radium therapy.

[nailit]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=Gil0XIHsJrOX1fAPuOuI-Ac&q=radium+treatment+for+bones&oq=radium+treatment+for+bones&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39j0i22i30l5.56213.63661..64131...1.0..0.225.2288.17j6j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i10j0j0i67j0i20i263.rvv0larUoR8

[Mamyalynne]

It will almost certainly be palliative radiotherapy Nailit.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/radiotherapy/

May indeed provide some relief.

[nailit]

Thank you mamy. Almost certain that my sister said radium tho, that's why I googled it to see what it involved. It wouldn't be the first time that Ive misheard something.....

[237SJ]

It's mentioned here Nailit. It would relate to men with prostate ca because that goes to the bones as does breast cancer https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/radiotherapy/symptoms/bone-pain

[237SJ]

It's under "Internal radiotherapy with radioisotopes"

[nailit]

Thank you 237
//that goes to the bones as does breast cancer//
She HAS been told today that the bone cancer is a secondry cancer after her breast cancer which she had about 5-6 yrs ago.

[237SJ]

I suspected that as soon as you first mentioned it Nailit. That does tend to be the next place it goes to.

[Sqad]

Bone cancer , is usually spread (metastasis) from cancer from other organs. ..e.g breast lung, prostate, stomach etc and are usually but not always, respond to radiotherapy.
It shrinks the bony tumours, relieves the pain, but doesn't cure them.

[Sqad]

Radiation=Radiotherapy.........same thing.

[nailit]

Thanks Sqad.
We've already been told that its incurable, would just like some pain relief for the arm. (she doesn't seem to be in to much pain anywhere else despite having it confirmed that its elsewhere in her skeleton)

[Tilly2]

I hope she gets some relief, whatever the treatment is called.

I think your sister may have used the wrong term, initially.

[237SJ]

My mum had palliative radiotherapy for a tumour in her arm. It was a very high dose of radiotherapy (much higher than the original doses that people have when originally treated) I think the tumour was at risk of fracturing the arm and the treatment stopped that from happening. For some reason, she didn't have a lot of pain but the treatment was worthwhile.

[nailit]

Thanks Tills. Awful to see an elderly and frail person in so much pain.

[nailit]

Thanks 237.

[pixie374]

I hope the treatment makes her more comfortable nailit xx

[nailit]

Cheers Pix, hope so (if shes suitable for it...)

[Patsy33]

Aww, I do hope she gets some much needed pain relief soon.

[nailit]

Thanks Patsy.

[237SJ]

Let's hope your Mum gets some relief soon. The link does say that radium 223 is quite effective. The team will know the best treatment for her.