| | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) |  Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Keep a good eye on it. I was 70% in Decemeber and by June was 90%. Surgery was first week of September and had I waited any longer, they would not have been able to do it. The stent is fairly low on surgical complications although I did have a couple of interns that did their best to kill me. What a comedy of errors.
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | Even with IMRT patients David, it is a highly variable function of the field design of the radiation and duration + intensity. It's a given problem for those of us that came along before IMRT, but for those after, it is a function of mapping the field.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Understand the radiation field, duration and intensity logic so what about how long it takes to do the recognizable damage in the Carotid?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | The problem is that the mechanism of damage that forms the scar tissue is not just immediate, but progressive. So most people do not have immediate occlusion of the vessels at the end of treatment, but they gradually develop them over years. Much like other collateral damages from radiation, and the list is long, it is progressive and gets worse with time. Other things that radiation does that are the same, and I will just use my own list to note a few, - Your ability to swallow initially gets better, but over time gets worse. The radiation damages nerves that control the muscular contractions in the back of your throat, and that control the peristalses waves that move the food down. Other nerve damage include the facial nerve that controls your ability to move certain facial muscles. I can't control the right side of my mouth, there is nothing mechanically wrong with the muscles, but the nerves that control them have become progressively degraded by the radiation treatments over time.
Again using my own situation I noticed no lightheadedness or other symptoms of carotid blockage in the first 5 years after treatment, though there was likely some small gradual insidious thickening of the walls during that time. After that it seemed to worsen much more rapidly. Clearly I am not an expert on this, but have had it explained to me by my cardiologist who consulted with several RO's to confirm his findings. Stents are somewhere in my future, but I am dragging my feet about it and dealing with the QOL issues until they get to a point where I no longer can do some of the things that are important in my life. Perhaps time will run out for me before I really have to have them done. Mack Trucks run wild and all other considerations factored in......
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | LOL Brian, stay away from Mack Trucks. Really I did enjoy this post and learned from it .
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 17 Likes: 3 Member | | Member
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 17 Likes: 3 | I appriciate so much all the usefull info I recieve here.
I just had a stent placed in my R Carotid Artery less than
4 years after my radition. My surgeon was shocked at the
lack of plaque and the 95% blockage after only 4 years I guess
it goes with the territory. I'm just happy my wonderfull Doctors at MD Anderson noticed the problem at my yearly check-up and made me aware of it I had no symtoms at all. The Stenting procedure was painless fast and uneventfull, thanfully
So for all of you who had Radiation to the neck make sure to
keep a close eye on your Carotid Artery. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | mentn34,
How did they check the Artery? I have to be checked every few years for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, my father passed from this and it runs in the family. They do a fairly simple ultrasound to check it. I am overdue so next time I go in I can ask for the additional work while I�m there if that�s how they check.
I do my current checks to obtain a baseline diameter on the Aorta, so it might be a good thing to get on the Carotids.
Kelly
Male
48, SCC (Soft Palet) Rt.,
Stage 1, T3n0m0,
Dx, 8-09, Start IMRT 35 9-2-09 end 10-21-09
04-20-10 NED
8-11 recurrence, node rt. neck N2b
10-11 33 IMRT w/chemo wkly
3-12-12 PET - residual cancer
4-12 5 treatments with Cyberknife & Erbitux
6-19-12 Pet scan CLEAR
12-3-12 PET - CLEAR
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 147 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 147 | I had a carotid ultrasound to check mine out as my migranes had stopped after radiation and they suspected this was the reason.
DX 2/10/09; Stage 1 SCC side of tongue; Partial Gloss; PEG in 3/3/09; 3 Cisplatin; 35 IMRT; PEG out 7/17/09; Eating via mouth and walking 3 miles/day 4 wks after treatment end. 50 pound weight loss; Clear PET 09/09 and 09/10
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | mentn34 - I would be interested in hearing more about your stenting procedure, and if they used coated or non coated stents. You make it sound pretty straightforward and uneventful.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 17 Likes: 3 Member | | Member
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 17 Likes: 3 | They first check with a Doppler Ultrasound for an estimate we
then had a MRA_MRI then a arteriergram for a precise measure.
I must have had really good insurance at the time.(LOL) | | |
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