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Delay rib radiation to avoid lung damage?

Page last modified on: September 17, 2008
Question from Linda: Is it advisable to delay radiation to rib mets, if possible, due to possible damage to the lungs?
Answer —Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: In general, rib metastases are associated with mild discomfort that is treatable with medication, unless there is a fracture associated with the metastasis. There are various ways to treat rib metastases when they occur without other sites of disease. Radiation can be very helpful and does not usually result in significant damage to surrounding tissues, including the underlying lungs. So, if you are experiencing significant rib pain and medication is not helping you to your satisfaction, ask your doctor to refer you to a radiation oncologist.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Metastatic Breast Cancer. Musa Mayer, Eric P. Winer, M.D., and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about treatment and quality of life issues related to advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Musa Mayer is a trained counselor with a specialty in women's issues, a patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute and has written a memoir of her own experiences with breast cancer.

Eric Winer, M.D.Eric Winer, M.D. is director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Gillette Centers for Women's Cancers and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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