Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission

Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.

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Radiation for Myeloma

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According to the research linked below radiation for myeloma can cause fear and anxiety. Because I underwent local radiation for both a single plasmacytoma as well as lesions in my sacrum, I thought I should post about radiation for myeloma.

To set the stage I will simply say that 1) radiation is palliative, not curative and 2) radiation for myeloma is used to nuke a lesion or plasmacytoma.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that radiation therapy is highly effective at zapping plasma cells aka MM. I have never read about or heard of a case where a MM patient’s radiation did not respond fully to radiation therapy.

The bad news is that though radiation is effective in killing MM, it can also kill healthy cells. I know this because both of my radiation sessions included short and long-term side effects. According to the ACS, short term side effects for radiation therapy are:

  • Skin changes in the area being treated, which can range from redness to blistering and peeling
  • Fatigue (feeling very tired)
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea (if the belly or pelvis is being treated)
  • Low blood counts

It is the long-term side effect of radiation therapy that I believe MM patients must understand and focus on.


I thought this video explained radiation therapy well-


I consider radiation for myeloma to be an effective therapy. These blog posts explain evidence-based non-conventional therapies.

Like any MM therapy, radiation has risks and benefits. Don’t expect your oncologist to fully explain the risks of radiation. Take steps to understand possible risks and take preventative measures.

Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com with questions about your health.

Hang in there,

David Emerson

  • MM Survivor
  • MM Cancer Coach
  • Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Patients Have Many Fears, Misconceptions About Radiation Therapy

“TOPLINE:

A cross-sectional survey of patients preparing for their first radiation therapy consultation found that many patients worried about the physical effects of radiation therapy, including pain, memory loss, and nausea, and more than 60% said they were concerned about their ability to perform daily activities. Respondents reported a range of other worries, including the financial cost of treatment, transportation to treatment sessions, and the ability to continue working, as well as misconceptions about radiation therapy, such as concerns about emitting radiation to others.

METHODOLOGY:

  • Toxicities from cancer therapies can significantly affect patients’ quality of life and may contribute to their apprehensions before starting a new treatment. Some studies have indicated that patients may have misconceptions about chemotherapy, but less is known about patients’ perceptions of radiation therapy.
  • Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients presenting for initial radiation therapy consultation at a single academic institution and analyzed responses from 214 patients (52% men; 51% White individuals) with no prior radiation therapy experience.
  • The patients completed a 30-question electronic survey about radiation therapy perceptions and fears or concerns prior to their initial radiation consultation.
  • Cancer diagnoses spanned 18 disease sites, with hematologic malignancies (21%), breast cancer (18%), and lung cancer (15%) being the most common.

TAKEAWAY:

  • Physical side effects were the top concern for patients. These included radiation-induced pain (67%), memory loss (62%), nausea/vomiting (60%), and skin reactions (58%).
  • Patients expressed concerns about the impact radiation therapy would have on daily activities, with 62% reporting being moderately or very concerned about their ability to perform daily activities and 37% worried about their ability to continue working. Other concerns included the ability to exercise (over half of respondents), financial cost (36%), and transportation to treatment sessions (26%).
  • Misconceptions among patients were also common, with 48% expressing concerns about emitting radiation to others and 45% worrying about excreting radioactive urine or stool.
  • Patients had varied levels of prior understanding of radiation therapy. Half of patients reported a complete lack of knowledge about radiation therapy, and 35% said they had read or heard stories about bad side effects.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our study suggests that a survey administered prior to radiation oncology consultation can reveal patients’ primary concerns which could promote a more patient-centered discussion that addresses specific concerns and involves appropriate services to help the patient,” the authors wrote.”

radiation for myeloma radiation for myeloma

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