Question
Sir:
I completed 42 radiation treatments for prostate cancer about 2 years ago. So far so good.  In the last couple of months I have developed moderate low back pain and numbness in both feet. The symptoms seem to be consistent with a diagnosis of spinal stenosis.
I am wondering if the radiation treatments could have caused/contributed to this condition?
I am 66 years old, excellent physical condition, not overweight.
Thank you for your assistance.
Bill

Answer
Dear Bill,

Spinal stenosis is a either a progressive degnerative condition that is the result of long term bony degeneration, focal soft tissue scarring, or disk bulging into the spinal canal.  It can be from an acute trauma, but this is less likley.  The reduction of the size of the spinal canal places pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots and this is why the symptoms occur.  With the above information in mind, I would doubt that the stenosis has been caused by any radiation therapy.  If you have been given the diagnosis  of stenosis, this must be confirmed on an MRI or CT scan, and the radiology report will tell you what structures are responsible for the stenosis, and at what level of the spine this is occuring.

Now, I do not posess any advanced education or understanding in the realm of radiation treatment, so my best advice to you is to have the oncologist review what the known side effects are of the treatment.  There may be some effect, but I really doubt that radiation has a correlation with the stenosis.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net