I am getting ready to start radiation treatment to the portion of my tongue that the ENT Doc sutured up four weeks ago.
The sutures remain, they haven't started to fall out yet.
My question is this...Has anyone started radiation with the healing process from the surgery still underway, and what, if any, effect did this have on the incision sites?

Andrea

Andrea,

My radiation started about 5-6 weeks after surgery, so there was definitely still healing going on around my incisions (although I don't recall that there were any sutures left). The radiation didn't seem to have any adverse effect on the surgery sites.

From everything I've read here, it seems that when radiation is scheduled to follow surgery, it is generally done fairly soon afterward (4-6 weeks).

Cathy

Thanks, seems like everything is right on schedule, then. That's a GOOD thing, as Martha Stewart used to say.....

Andrea

Andrea, I think the main thing before and during radiation is to take the best care of your skin possible. Ask-Insist- that you be given good skin creams to use after each rad treatment. My husband was still healing from surgery when rad started and it did not affect his surgery incisions. I remember Gail Mac having some good advice on skin care during radiation. You might try a search on that. Amy

Andrea,

My radiation oncologist told me that it was best to start rad treatments within 6 weeks of the surgery. That is the optimum window to kill the cancer cells with the radiation.

My surgery was almost completely healed by the time I started, but I suspect that there are a lot of folks who started radiation without being completely healed. One result of my treatment is that the skin around my incision (beside my back molars) become softer and more pliable during and after the radiation, which my ENT thought was a good thing.

Since you're in Massachusetts, you could certainly get a second opinion but it seems that the rad treatments are scheduled right on time. Good luck with them. - Sheldon

Amy- I did the suggested search, and it looks like clean and dry for treatment, gooped up with product "A" or "B" in between times, wash with a mild soap...all the good common sense things our mothers taught us about.
Sheldon- thanks for the post.I'll be right at the four-week mark when they turn the machine on my neck for the first time.
By the way, you guys ARE my second opinion :} I have found that if one posts on this board, and anything sounds the least bit off, a cyber-flag goes down on the field! It's like getting a thousand instant consults. It's a pretty good feeling. Thanks for being here!

Andrea

Hey, Andrea, since I'm babysitting tomorrow night, I'm wishing you Happyest New Year possible tonite. You already know that many of us are among the "been there-done that" crowd. Glad you found some info during your search. I wish I had been able to spend more time searching when we first started our journey down this path. There is more information here than can be assimilated, but there is so much good stuff to help you if you can find the time and energy to look for it- or ask for it. Lots of us will be right here for you during radiation, so please keep talking to us. Amy

Andrea,

My husband just got through his radiation on 12/05/06 and is doing pretty well. He did not have surgery first, however. Regarding the skin cream thing he asked the doctor for Biafine cream (we saw it mentioned here on the forum) and it seemed to work great. We had tried a couple other creams first that the doctor had given us, but Biafine seemed much better. It seems to absorb better, smell better and promotes healing well. My husband

Barbara, Thanks for the tip, it was a choice between that or the Aquaphor cream (or the Blue Emu I used to help heal up the scar from my neck surgery a year ago). I'm so glad your husband is recovering well.
Happy, Carefree, Fearfree New Year to all of you!
Andrea

Happy New Year to you too, Andrea! You're getting it off to quite a start but it can only improve after the radiation. Keep posting here with questions and for support.

Andrea,
I found Biafine far superior to the Aquaphor which seemed to do nothing at all.

I went into radiation with some open mouth sores on the gums left over from biospies to try to find the primary. I was told that they should still heal but at a slower pace. Since radiation is cumulative they expected them to be healed before the really bad stuff hit. Most did, but one didn't because of location and dry mouth, my tongue was constantly keeping it open. It eventually healed several months after radiation was over but dental surgeon was monitoring it every two weeks for problems. If your surgeon thinks it is ok to start, I doubt there will be a problem.

Take care,
Eileen

Nelie, Yup off to a grand start, we can only take this New Year one step at a time at my house!
Eileen, The surgeon's opinion is the one thing we are awaiting at this point, Doc Radiator is going to confer with him Tuesday to see what he wants to do about the potential problems with the lymph nodes (and BOT hypermetabolism that showed up on the PET scan.) I am hoping they opt to radiate my neck bilaterally (I can't believe I just wrote that!!) I would hate to shoot my last bullet at this thing and then realize we missed a spot!
They tell me they can't operate again on the left side so I am running out of ammunition.
Hmmm, I detect a trend in my metaphors!

Andrea