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Blindness from Radiation Treatment???? What is this ?

 
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jh632632
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Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:04 am    Post subject: Blindness from Radiation Treatment???? Reply with quote
All,

My fiance is receiving radiation treatment for his Stage III stomach cancer. He is about 1.5 weeks into it. He has been having vision problems the past couple of days, and last night and this morning he lost his vision altogether. Doctors are now telling him that if he does not regain vision in the next 24 hours, he will become blind.

I have heard radiation may cause blindness in brain/eye cancer patients, but never stomach cancer! And the blindness was usually from a wrong dose.

We are shocked and have no idea what to do.

As some of you know, I have been skeptical of his doctors' care all along and this is really the final straw. They aren't even telling him yet whether the radiation is truly working to cure his cancer, yet they will let it blind him??? I realize that mistakes happen, but this many in one patient???

Has anyone heard of such a thing? What should I do??
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brainman
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Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 4440
Location: Tennessee
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:30 am    Post subject: Re: Blindness from Radiation Treatment???? Reply with quote
jh632632, I am so sorry about your fiance's cancer. What part of the body are they treating with radiation? Unless they are irradiating his brain, I do not understand how it could be affecting his vision Confused.

Keep us informed. You and your fiance are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
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jh632632
New User


Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Blindness from Radiation Treatment???? Reply with quote
Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!

He is being treated for stomach cancer. That's why I'm so baffled as to how his vision can be affected from this radiation...they're just supposed to be radiating his stomach area, right? The cancer is in six lymph nodes but not in any other organs.

Luckily, yesterday evening, they managed to restore most of his vision, although everything is still very blurry and he has no depth perception. Let's pray that in time it gets better. I'm still terrified it will happen again.

I posted in the stomach cancer forum, but we are truly devastated -- my fiance is running out of options. Surgery and chemotherapy did not work, and so far the radiation also is not working. I am at a loss as to where to turn next. I would like him to find treatment at a large American hospital (he is currently in Holland) but his doctors say he can't be off his radiation for even one day or he will become Stage IV. So he can't even fly here. I am truly baffled as to where to go for help.

If anyone has any advice, PLEASE PLEASE contact me.

My fiance's story is at http://jharrington.freehostia.com/prayersforbas

Thank you all for your time!
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brainman
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Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 4440
Location: Tennessee
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Blindness from Radiation Treatment???? Reply with quote
It is possible that the cancer has metastasized to his brain in which case radiation to the brain would be appropriate. But he would also be getting chemotherapy of some sort. Once a cancer has spread, chemotherapy is the only way to treat the whole body.

I am glad that his vision has improved.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/
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