Hey to all ! I am currently in treatment for SCC of the vocal cords, Stage 1. I have completed 27 IMRT treatments. My concern, dumb as it is, I do not seem to be having the side effects that just about everyone has. I can still eat, my voice has actually gotten better. I even asked my RO if he was giving me enough "juice". My TX are 5 days a week and the current plan is 39 total treatments. No PEG. I feel terrible after reading so many posts about the difficulties other people are having. I an just afraid the TX may not get the cancer if I am not having the side effects.

We can all react differently to the same Tx and by my estimates of the people that come to this site is that 10% "breeze" through, 10% really have a horrible time almost from the get-go and 80% of us just suffer pretty bad from about week 4 thru 2 to 3 weeks post Tx. My Dr Trotti, RO at Moffitt estimates from his client base 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. We may see more in my 80% class since more people would come to this site in need of help than perhaps the general population? Chemo can also make a real negative difference in our concurrent experience and certainly pre Tx surgery can add to one's negative experience as well.

Anyway, whatever class you fall into and for whatever reason, enjoy not having the bad reaction many of us do.

Baymomma,

Count your blessings and don't feel guilty about posting your outcome. There are many who come to these boards who need to see the whole spectrum of treatments, effects and outcomes. Some posts are very hard to read and others are very encouraging. You�re an encouraging poster.

I did almost as well as you, and am back to just about normal 6 months out.

Keep us up to date on your progress

Keep up that attitude and you will be fine. We are all in your corner.

Thanks to all for the replies. I actually had lost 1/4 lb yesterday at the doc. I am still + 2lb since I began treatment. Doc thinks that is one reason I have done so well, I took the whole nutrition thing very seriously and eating anything and everything I want ! LOL In the middle of all this my husband was diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease(PAD) and has had 2 stents put in his leg. Another round to go in his other leg. I know I can get through this after seeing what a difficult time so many on this forum have had. The thing that really scares me is a reoccurrence . I am sooo lucky that mine was in my vocal cords and early and I have only required RT.

Welcome Baymamma:

You will love this forum and the vast information and help you will receive. Nice to have another Alabamian

Julieann

Welcome to OCF. Its always so nice to hear from someone who is getting thru this easily. Makes others realize that it isnt so bad for everyone. Best of luck with everything, hope you continue to sail right thru.

Thanks ! It is nice to have another person from the south. I am originally from Huntsville in No Alabama. We "retired" to the Gulf Coast. The other thing about all of this is giving up the smokes after so many years. They are no longer an option but on top of going through this scary illness, I had to quit those too. Makes it tough but I am determined. It really does help to read all the stories and info .
Julia

Baymamma,

What part of the Gulf Coast do you live on... My Brother and Parents both live in Orange Beach and we get down ther quite a bit from Atlanta... I love it down there, my brother owns a sailboat and runs sailing charters....

Nice to see you found this board, this is a great group of people...

Tommy

This post just made me wonder---I noticed that most people get somewhere between 30-35 rounds of radiation. But is there a standard amount that is given?
For example,Baymamma is in Stage one so might she be getting a different amount of radiation than a stage 4? I thought I remembered Dave's RO saying that she was hitting different areas with different amounts of radiation(of course, those days are a big blur too.LOL).

At any rate, baymamma,I'm so sorry to hear that you and your husband are dealing with two medical conditions at once. But thrilled to hear you are having an easier time. I certainly don't think the no pain no gain rule applies here.
It is great to hear about someone having an easier time of it.

Don't feel guilty about not having side effects!! Everyone is different. I had relatively few side effects -- continued to work throughout the course of radiation and chemo, and never had a PEG tube. Best wishes for the rest of your treatment!!

Julia:

How coincidental. My real name is Julia, but am called Julie and Julieann. I live in New Market, AL, just 10 mins from Huntsville, where I previously lived for over 40 years.

julieann

Radiation techniques can vary and guidelines can be found in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for H&N cancer.

A copy of the 2009 guidelines can be found on the OCF site at http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/treatment/pdf/head-and-neck.pdf

An updated 2010 copy can be found on the NCCN site (google NCCN Guidelines).

Conventional fractionation for concurrent chemo-radiation is 70gy to the primary tumor/tumor-bed and involved nodes in 2.0gy daily fractions and 44-64gy to the uninvolved nodes that may be known drainage nodes for the primary, or are located nearby (and/or suspect occult area) in 1.6-2.0gy daily fractions.

OCF will have the new 2010 guidelines up on thee links by Monday. We just received the 2010 changes from NCCN who we have a formal agreement with. BH

Thanks Susan, I asked my RO about the amount of RT that I was receiving b/c I was concerned that it was enough "juice". I am having IMRT for 39 treatments, the last 14 are a boost to my voice box only. He dropped off my lymph nodes after 25 treatments. I have been able to eat basically anything I want the whole time and doc thinks that is one of the reasons I am handling the treatments so well. I do have a very high pain thresh hold . I have actually gained 5 lbs. Every week I think this is the week I will hit the floor and now I am running out of weeks. This is a good thing !

Most get the max radiation which is appx 70 Gys and that is spread over usually 7 weeks, 5 days a week or 35 treatments. So 70 divided by 35 = 2 Gys per day avg. Some RO's accelerate the radiation by doubling up on one day of the week, usually Friday, and by doing so they hope the extra radiation (boost) will have more of an impact and therefore they shorten the weeks by one.

Thanks David for the info. I did ask today what my gy was and you were right, it is 70gy. I only have 7 more treatments for a total of 39 which puts me close to 8 weeks total treatment time. Then I get to wait for the PET scan at 2 months. I guess these rechecks will be scary but I might as well get used to them early on. I am assuming the IMRT is one reason I have not had such horrible side effects. I look forward to saying mine treatment was YEARS ago !

Oh my goodness ! My brother calls me Julie as did my mother. I am a 3rd generation Huntsvillian that relocated to the Gulf Coast when my husband retired. Used to come to New Market and get watercress years ago. I still have lots of family and friends in Huntsville. My maiden name was Love, went to HHS and my family had the old Twickenham Hotel downtown before it was torn down for the parking garage. My 40 year class reunion is coming up this summer. It is a small world sometimes, huh !