Can radiation make dementia worse?

Receiving a higher radiation dose increased the dementia risk and persistently escalated the dementia incidence even 9 years after RT. Younger (<65 y) patients have a high risk of dementia after RT.

Is it safe to be around someone having radiotherapy?

The radiation doesn’t travel very far from the treatment area. So it is usually safe to be with other people. However, as a precaution you will need to avoid very close contact with children and pregnant women for a time. Your treatment team will give you specific advice about this.

Can radiotherapy bring on dementia?

Dementia can develop as early as three months after radiotherapy to the brain. It can also occur 48 months or longer after completion of radiation therapy. Symptoms of dementia (such as memory loss) can also occur after surgery to remove a brain tumor.

How are physical frailty and dementia related to each other?

Frailty was defined using a modified version of the frailty phenotype based on five individual components (weight loss, tiredness, physical activity, gait speed, and grip strength), with participants classified as pre-frail if they fulfilled one or two criteria or frail if they fulfilled three or more.

How many miles do you have to travel for radiotherapy?

According to the ICR survey, almost a quarter of patients overall had to travel more than 20 miles for their radiotherapy—including 20 percent of those living in urban areas and 41 percent of those in rural areas.

Why is radiotherapy so important to the NHS?

Urgent investment is needed in advanced forms of radiotherapy so the high-tech treatment can play a central role in clearing the backlog in NHS cancer care that has built up during the pandemic.

What to do if your friend is a toxic friend?

Take a relationship sabbatical or hiatus from the friendship. (You deserve a break for what you’ve endured!) If it’s that bad, simply cut loose and run. Remember, the term toxic friendship refers to a relationship that is consistently negative and draining.

Can a person with dementia be treated for cancer?

The cancer treatment offered to a person with dementia will depend on their individual situation, but also on the stage of the dementia. If you are the main carer of someone with cancer and dementia, you will probably go with them to their GP and hospital appointments. You may also visit the hospital during their treatment.

How is being friends with someone who has dementia can be?

The research documents how some people find value, interest, meaning and pleasure in friendships with people who are living with dementia. Among the findings, several stand out. Through experience, people gain specific forms of knowledge about how to interact well with the person who has dementia.

Can a person with dementia fill out a consent form?

It can be filled out by people with dementia and their carers. The form is helpful for the person with dementia if they are in an unfamiliar place, such as hospital or respite care, especially if they are having problems communicating. For consent to be valid, the person giving consent must have capacity.

What to do if someone with dementia is admitted to hospital?

If the person you are caring for is admitted to hospital, it is important that everyone involved in their care knows about their needs. It also helps if people know what the current care plan is or if anything has changed. Alzheimer’s Society has an information form called This is me. It can be filled out by people with dementia and their carers.