Ovarian cancer - is radiation therapy common treatment and if so, does it cause seizures???

I work in a very small firm and a young girl has been using outrageous excuses for being out sick...ovarian cancer (radiation therapy is now causing seizures), bad back aches (now getting cortisone shots...caused from moving one weekend)....among so many others (like death of parents and grandparents). The cancer and seizures just broke the camel's back -- by the way, she was running late a couple of weeks ago and said she had a seizure on the way to work (while driving)....but she came to work -- not disheveled or sickly looking!

Hi Lottie:

Get documentation because her story doesn't jibe with the typical picture for ovarian cancer.

Typical age for ovarian cancer is diagnosis in your 60's, treatment usually surgery then chemotherapy, NOT radiation in most circumstances. If she's getting seizures, it's rare with radiation treatment to her head but she should have lost her hair in that case. If it's anywhere else in the body, then seizures wouldn't happen from radiation.

If she's reporting seizures while driving to you, then you may want to tell her you plan to call the DMV to reassess her ability to drive safely for her sake and that of other drivers/pedestrians. See how she responds and get documentation. Source(s): I'm a radiation oncologist.

my sistere had a seizure after radiation for a certain test. yes they can use radiaton on the cancer
maybe she needs to be looking for another job seeing as when here she is so sick etc.
Well to me, sounds like a young girl who's mind is on other things then work...but some seizures are diffrent...they will just make you disoriented...kinda like having altimers...but only for a few min. I think w/ ovarian cancer they just do a historectomey
Radiation therapy is one type of treatment for ovarian cancer. Much depends upon the stage of the cancer that will determine the type of treatment (other treatment includes chemotherapy or surgery).

I do not really know if what you are describing is cancer or not. No one here can really tell you that. However, many cancers including abdominal cancer is often asymptomatic until the very late stages, especially in young people.

I can point you to some reading material to help you understand this disease more:

National Cancer Institute: Ovarian Cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types...

Medline Plus: Ovarian Cancer
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ovari...
I have had ovarian cancer, I was not told or warned about seizures. (but I guess that doesnt mean it cant happen). The most common treatment for Ovarian cancer is first a hysterectomy, then treatments of chemo, then radiation if needed. Most common is 3 treatments of chemo then radiation, then 3 more chemo treatments. And this is ONLY if the cancer has broken through the wall of the uterus. Go into detail with her about her radiation treatments. Find out how it was given and where. Where as in, on her body. So you will know, they have you lay on your stomach and the radiation is given in (most cases) 3 spots. one at the top of crack of your butt and one on each side. You would think it would be given in your stomach, but NO, to many other organs of the body there in the way so its done on your back. Its given buy a machine that is something like an x-ray and takes about 5 mins. And is done everyday for about a month (except weekends and holidays.) I had 28 treatments, I had to go everyday. and took over 6 wks because of weekends and holidays. Only side effect was being tired after the treatments were over. And you are most likely to have cases of diarrhea since the radiation is given in your butt. Doctor had me take Ammodium AD every morning if I needed it or not.

I'd love to know if you catch her in a lie.... Good Luck.