4-20-10 - Meeting with Radiation PA

Some not so good news today... Although the chemotherapy went well yesterday, my dad is having a reaction to the radiation. He has developed a skin condition - basically, it is a burn. It's "puffy" skin around his collarbone on both his left and right sides - extending to his cheek/jawbone. Rodney, the radiation Physician's Assistant (PA), said it is more common for ENT patients to get these burns than other cancers because of the proximity of the tumor to the skin - often with other cancers, the radiation is trying to go deep into internal organs, etc. The dead skin will eventually come off and he has antibiotics and an antibacterial burn medication (Silvadene) to use in the meantime. Cavalon (a sting-free, alcohol-free liquid barrier film that dries quickly to form a breathable, transparent coating on the skin) is a preventative measure he can use that wouldn't have necessarily stopped the burns from happening all together, but they could have lessened the severity... Maybe next time Dad?

So, they did not do a radiation treatment today (what would have been his 27th), and postponed any more until the anticipated "peak" of the reaction mellows out, which is also expected. The next possible day for radiation could be Thursday. It's okay to not have it for a while because the radiation continues to kill cells even after the actual treatment.

This pushes back the treatment overall and we're not sure about the timeline, but it looks like there could be about 3 more weeks (2 of radiation) left. I am planning on going to visit in Bakersfield this weekend.