I am a fit and healthy 55 year old taking requiring no medications and I attended my doctors on another minor matter. I asked my practicioner about the nodules on my hands. She casually replied that I had “Dupuytrens Contracture and that it was incurable”. She told me to go away and wait a couple of years until they could operate on the hands.She gave me no imformation or support on the diagnosis.
I left the surgery shocked having never heard of DD and was at a loss what to do. I contacted the large hospitals in Perth and Sydney and also the Universities searching for some treatment and an alternative to surgery but all stated that surgery was the only option and all discussion seemed hopelesss as all eyes were closed.
That was when I came upon your website and a treatment that I beleive can make the ‘uncurable’ ‘curable’.
I arrange an appointment to see another doctor at the same practice armed with the DD powerpoint and other relevant information from the site.The doctor was extremely reluctant to consider an alternative treatment and especially Radiation Therapy. He was a nice man and read some of the material and when he realised that I would not go away agreed to refer me to a specialist and he wished me well.
The specialist had never heard of the treatment and was also resistant but was prepared to look at the research and discuss the related issues with his colleagues and I was to come back in eight weeks for a decision as to whether ofr not the treatment would be performed.
I have very little contracture yet and my condition would be about an 'N'. I have hard nodules in both palms and chords running up into my fingers. There is no real pain, just a little discomfort from time to time.
To my joy the specialist agreed to undertake the oncology procedure and i have had templates drawn of my hands for the lead protective sheets to be made and also photographs were taken. I go for my first treatment today and look forward to a positive result down the track. I will keep you posted on my progress and thanks to the site and good luck to all fellow sufferers.
Oh and dont take no for an answer, after all they are your hands!
Cheers,
alanr

YEAH,

Good for you!!

I have had such a positive experiance with radiation for my hands and feet. I really wish there was a way to make this treatment more widely known among physicians. A physician myself there is just so much stuff we need to keep up on every day that I understand how something like radiation for Dupuytren's can be easily overlooked . But if we just keep trying we can educate other doctors one at a time

I am considering Radiotherapy and will need as much information on DD as possible. How can I get the DD presentation that Alankr spoke of?

I have just one nodule in my left palm that formed last October. I found this site and it has been helpful. I asked my siblings and it turns out that two of my brothers have contracture after two years and I can only assume that it would progress at the same rate for me.

If anyone can help me with web links and obtaining information that I would need to propose radiotherapy with doctors in the US, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Chris

Hi All,
Went to my GP today after forwarding him the powerpoint presentation on radiotherapy.
He initially went to great lengths to ensure that I was aware of the possible side effects that are present when undergoing any radiotheraputic procedure. Once he was convinced that I wasn't just looking for a quick fix and am not stupid he then thanked me for the information as he had only ever heard of hand surgerey as a treatment for DD, not even NA.
I now have a referal to a radiotherapy oncologist to fax to his office tomorrow so that he can decide whether to see me or not.
I will keep you updated on my progress.
By the way I am in South East Melbourne, Victoria.

Not so happy as the oncologist that I was referreed to by my GP has not contacted me back. I rang his office to enquire if he would see me with DD over a week ago and faxed referral with no reply.

Also contacted a realtive at St Vincents who passed my enquiry on to Oncologist. Reply from that was that they had never heard of radiotherapy as a DD treatment and also had been in touch with Peter MacCallum with same result.

Did get a name and number to try from the St V enquiry so will ring Monday.

Not happy, but persistant!

Cheers,

Tomo