Day by day, the tissue spreads. It tightens throughout my palms, causing them to cramp and constrict. All hope is not yet lost. There is still a chance to stall the disease.
A paradox so real,
Update
The field of radiation oncology offers low-energy radiation therapy for treating and possibly ceasing Dupuytren's disease. The disease currently affects approximately 5% of the United States population and 8.2% of the global population.
Research shows that radiation therapy is effective against early onset Dupuytren's disease. In essence, 60% of patients that receive radiation therapy see an improvement in their condition. Of these patients, 20% see a worsening state of the disease. About 8% of these patients require surgery instead of those who do not get the therapy.
In my initial article on Dupuytren's, we know that the disease is characterized by an abnormal growth of connective tissue in the palms. Left untreated, the tissue continues to grow and forces your hands to contract indefinitely into an abnormal position like so:
A Johns Hopkins review of treatment lists the current options available to at least alleviate the impact of the disease:
- Steroid shot
- Radiation Therapy.
- Enzyme Injection
- Needle Aponeurotomy
- Surgery
Given the above options, I felt radiation therapy was the most successful. Of course, my only source of information on this belief is from the Facebook groups I joined over the last year. People receiving surgery and needle aponeurotomy, for example, report worsening their condition shortly after the relief they experienced following their treatment.
A review of radiation therapy and the enzyme injection options showed a longer term of relief for the patients receiving it early enough in the disease. Regarding radiation therapy, the people I spoke with did not see a worsening or recurrence of their condition yet.
Radiation Therapy
If you catch the disease early enough, you would likely be a great fit to receive radiation therapy. The treatment involves exposing the affected area on the hand to low-energy X-ray radiation.
The procedure appears simple enough. The doctor will outline the affected areas of your hands and develop a shielding cast that only exposes those areas to the radiation beam. The afflicted area of your hands get exposed to approximately 30 Grays of radiation over 8 weeks:
- The first week of treatment starts with exposing your hand to 3.0 Grays of radiation per day for 5 days.
- The patient is then released for about 5-6 weeks before returning for their second and final week of treatment.
- During this final treatment, they are exposed to the same level of radiation they received during their first week.
Given my experience with radiation health, I was a bit surprised at the level of exposure. If the individual received 30 grays of radiation in a day, they wouldn't be long for this world. Under the recommended treatment protocol, however, the patient would likely only experience low-level consequences of radiation exposure.
Radiosensitivity
Radiation therapy appears more successful than other treatment options due to the hand's radiosensitivity to radiation exposure. The nerves and muscles in your hands do not continuously grow and regenerate like other human body areas. Because of this and the treatment protocol, the hand will not be adversely impacted by the exposure over the long run.
However, the abnormal tissue growing in the palms is radiosensitive. The tissue grows unchecked and is a prime target for destruction by radiation. Unfortunately, despite not being as radiosensitive as other areas in your body, radiation treatment is not without its side effects.
Common Side Effects
Short and long-term side effects of the low-level radiation therapy may include redness, soreness, or dryness of the targeted area.
The texture of the skin exposed may change texture and become harder, softer, thinner, or thicker.
Approximately 1 in 10,000 patients may develop cancer as a result of the treatment.
Compared with the side effects of the other known treatment options, I feel this option is right for me. I'm scheduled to start treatment sometime in September 2023.
In Closing
Is there anyone in this community that also suffers from Dupuytren's Disease? I'd love to read about your experience.
Please feel free to comment below, and I wish you excellent health and happiness in your lives!
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