Margaret and Dennis went to Sydney

For another honeymoon

and a little radiotherapy

Margaret is a patient of Radiation Oncology of Sydney whose Director, Dr Philip Yuile. is also a director of the Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group (SNOG)

This picture shows the technicians setting up before the first radiotherapy session on 6 June. The mask is to hold Margaret's head in the same position each time. The camera flash has eliminated from the picture the laser cross-hatching which is coordinated with marks on the mask including the mark visible at the centre of the rectangle.

The rectangle is one of three targets (the others above and from the other side) for the X-ray machine, which is rotated to direct beams from three different directions. This gives a maximun dose in the left frontal lobe, less elsewhere. The eyes are protected by a lead block placed in the frame above.

The radiation damages cells in critical stages of mitosis - cell division . Brain cells themselves divide infrequently, tumor cells very frequently - hence the damage mainly to the tumor. Side effects are weariness and hair loss (in about two weeks time) in patches affected by entry and exit of the X-ray beam.

Margaret will visit the clinic each weekday at 2:20 pm for a 15 minute treatment. Each treatment delivers a radiation dose of 200 cGy. Twenty five treatments, for a total dose of 5000 cGy (50 Gy or 50 rads), will run to 11 July. During the treatment, consideration will be given to additional treatment, more sharply focussed. (There were an additional 5 'boost treatments' - slightly sharper focus - to 18 July)

The effects of radiation continue to be felt after treatment stops. About two weeks later (which also allows time for the inflammation and oedema caused by the treatment to subside), there will be an MRI scan for assesment. (This in fact was later, click here)

In addition to consideration of western medical chemical treatment options, we are looking at Chinese traditional herbal treatments, one of which, in use at the Shanghai University Traditional Medicine Teaching Hospital (the herbs obtainable in Sydney), has demonstrated an average life for glioblastoma patients of 7.27 years, with 80% alive at 10 years. We have advice on this both from Cao Lingling in Canberra and from Dr Robert Zu Yang, of Campsie, Sydney, who is also contacting Beijing for their latest practices. (This part of the story becomes much bigger, see 'China')