Radiation

[Dulin]

Sir:  I have metastisis to the distal femur, it was radiated.  On my last petscan it showed a suspicious new small spot within the same radiated field which was perfectly round, does cancer ever show up in that manner? Can that area be radiated again? I hear some people say that after radiation their lesions disappear, mine still looks the same as before it was radiated.  Is this normal?  Thank you.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear Dulin:  Exact interpretation would be best left to the radiologist.  Often, there is evidence of bone healing but still some radiographical abnormality.  It is possible for cancer to arise in a previously radiated area.  Radiation cannot usually be repeated, although this depends upon the dose received.  You might be best advised to have a discussion with your radiation oncologist.

[surgeon]

Radiation is given to the maximum dose the first time around, in most cases. If that dose is exceeded, there's a high chance of serious damage to the tissues in the area. Metastatic tumors (ones that have spread from somewhere else) are often round. Not all tumors respond as hoped; however, it's possible that change may take place slowly, or that rather than shrinking the tumor,  the radiation may stop or slow growth.