Dupuytren's Update
Went to the doctor to discuss scan results. I want radiation therapy - the Dupuytren's web site makes it clear that this is the best option for the early stages of the disease (not 100% successful, but it can often stop the disease in its tracks thus avoiding the need for later surgery).
THe Doctor wasn't too sure if this was a good idea (but I've probably read more about it than he has and the side effects seem limited to long-term dry skin in the irradiated area and there have been no reported cancers so far), but he's referring me to the next guy in the chain.
He's also uncertain as to whether radiation therapy for Dupuytren's is available in this country - which does match in with information on the web site. However kalypso_v mentioned someone who'd had radiation therapy (though it didn't help in his case) but I don't know if he was British or not - I'm not well up on cricketers...
Does anyone know if it's available in England?
One thing is clear, the success rate for radiation treatment is best when it is done EARLY.
For new readers of this journal, Dupuytren's is a genetic disease that contracts the tendons in the hand, until you end up with a claw. It's slow, but pretty inevitable. See http://www.dupuytren-online.info/morbus_dupuytren.html for more info about both the disease and the benefits of radiation therapy.
I also have to decide what I'll do if it turns out that I can't get radiation treatment in England. Do I accept the inevitable and wait until I have no option but to get Needle aponeurotomy, which is usually effective, but does not prevent recurrance (it essentially slices through the contracted tissue), or eventual surgery (which tries to remove all the affected tissue, but isn't generally done until an even later stage).
Or, do I consider travelling to Germany? (there's nearly 2 million people with Dupuytrans in Germany, probably why they have more expertise in treating it)
It's worth noting that Dupuytren's is fairly common among certain ethnic groups. For instance 40% of Scottish men will develop it at some time in their life, as with around 20% of Japanese men (thus disproving the myth of it being solely a Viking gene). It is twice as common among men as among women and generally only affects older people.
THe Doctor wasn't too sure if this was a good idea (but I've probably read more about it than he has and the side effects seem limited to long-term dry skin in the irradiated area and there have been no reported cancers so far), but he's referring me to the next guy in the chain.
He's also uncertain as to whether radiation therapy for Dupuytren's is available in this country - which does match in with information on the web site. However kalypso_v mentioned someone who'd had radiation therapy (though it didn't help in his case) but I don't know if he was British or not - I'm not well up on cricketers...
Does anyone know if it's available in England?
One thing is clear, the success rate for radiation treatment is best when it is done EARLY.
For new readers of this journal, Dupuytren's is a genetic disease that contracts the tendons in the hand, until you end up with a claw. It's slow, but pretty inevitable. See http://www.dupuytren-online.info/morbus_dupuytren.html for more info about both the disease and the benefits of radiation therapy.
I also have to decide what I'll do if it turns out that I can't get radiation treatment in England. Do I accept the inevitable and wait until I have no option but to get Needle aponeurotomy, which is usually effective, but does not prevent recurrance (it essentially slices through the contracted tissue), or eventual surgery (which tries to remove all the affected tissue, but isn't generally done until an even later stage).
Or, do I consider travelling to Germany? (there's nearly 2 million people with Dupuytrans in Germany, probably why they have more expertise in treating it)
It's worth noting that Dupuytren's is fairly common among certain ethnic groups. For instance 40% of Scottish men will develop it at some time in their life, as with around 20% of Japanese men (thus disproving the myth of it being solely a Viking gene). It is twice as common among men as among women and generally only affects older people.