"re-radiation" could have two meanings: getting radiation a second time to the same tumor area or alternatively, to a different area. I know I was originally told that I could not have the exact same tumor area "re-radiated" as I already had 72 GYs, yet when the tumor came back and the pathology report was bad after salvage surgery, the RO reversed himself on a "technicality" by setting me up for a second round of radiation but not IMRT like the first. I had CyberKnife which is super focused and onlt 25 GY but 5 GY a day but all right at the original tumor area. It went much better than the first round of radiation but it only took a week instead of 10 weeks of IMRT
As far as questions for the doctors:
1. How much radiation did my Husband have the first time
(65 Grays, 70 Grays, 72 Grays ?) That's so you can have a baseline on his total dosage and the less he had before, the more he can still have)
2. Is this radiation to the same area? It's less worrisome if it's new tissue.Sure the extra radiation did fry tissues a little too much especially near the hyboid bone so I can't swallow or eat or drink anymore but it has kept the cancer from coming back a third time so far (which was the plan)
I also did a second round of chemo, but platinum based instead of the Erbitux.
It's terrible when the cancer comes back and so unfair. But there is still hope
Charm