It's been about 7 or 8 weeks since my last and final RT session.

Whilst I would argue that it is still somewhat early to claim success, I can say that:

1. The lump on my finger has diminished to an almost undetectable size (in comparison with the other normal hand), and the curvature has slightly reduced. The area is also much less painful.

2. The lumps/cords in my palm have reduced in size to be less than before the RT was commenced, and are much less painful.

So I am in reality claiming a very positive outcome (at this stage).

It is looking very favourable, if it remains dormant for a reasonable time.

I might add that the RT showed up much greater area of disease than was apparent from my (and GP's) naive physical examination. It's seems reasonable to argue that early treatment using RT is quite important.

Regards,

Chris.

Hi Paula,

I first saw a "hand therapist" who confirmed to me that I had DC. She simply felt my hand, and I guess from experience was able to make some estimate of the extent. She mentioned that there might be some more, but not apparent at the time.

By the time I got to the radiologist the DC was much more advanced and it was pretty obvious (by feeling it) it was running from my finger up toward my wrist. Just below my wrist there was an area of discomfort, but I did not think this was related to the DC (I think a long standing injury of some kind). The radiologist was happy to irradiate this area too, as he did not think it would do any harm if it was not DC.

It was interesting to see the DC area enlarge and become more painful, whilst non DC was not affected. It became much more apparent. This gets back to your question however, as it is logically possible that an area of DC that was not discernible by physical examination would become apparent after RT, or might be missed altogether.

It turns out that the (relatively) narrow, and long area of RT exposure managed to contain all the DC associated with that finger. The "undiscovered" part involved the cord that was significantly longer that I had thought it was. The area exposed for RT extended from (including finger) up to the wrist, so it caught it. If the "undiscovered" area went across the hand, instead of longitudinally it would have been missed. It is also possible that some DC currently exists, but is undetected with other fingers, but hopefully this will be a separate area for RT.

Regards,

Chris.