Another poster in one of the forums I visit mentioned radiation stents which are used at MD andersen and other cancer clinics during IMRT to protect salivary glands (parotids). Apparently they are really effective and preffered over ethyol (amifostine) by some doctors.

Many radiation oncologists (in India, at least) have not heard of them. My RO had never heard of them and didn't seem iterested. So, I went to the dentist of our cancer treatment center. She was very enthusiastic about looking into the idea and contacted her head prosthodontist who was also enthusiastic. They said nobody had ever asked for them before. We brought in papa and had him fitted and eveything.

Then the bad news from the RO: this stent would alter papa's radiation field. And even if it's a slight alteration, it is too risky. Papa should have had the fittings and mapping for IMRT done along with the stents, so they are now impossible to use. Had I known about these stents sooner, the RO says Papa would have had them. These appear to be not only more effective than Ethyol, but they are a lot cheaper. So now papa must continue his Etyhyol, which costs us about 4-5k (and twice that in most other countries).

So my biggest regret to date is not getting parotid stents made BEFORE beginning IMRT because I didn't know about them. See a prosthodontist if your radiation oncologist has not heard of radiation stents. Demand to be heard about this. Our RO was very hesitant to allow it because it had never been used before, but there is nothing new about them and there are many different kinds.

As a positive note, Papa is given an anti-nausea injection 15 minutes before he is given his Ethyol and has had virtually NO nausea at all. I will find out the name of the medication if anyone is interested. I believe it is called Emercet or Emerset in India.

I hope somebody will read this and be helped.