When I joined OCF, it appeared to be a staple of faith that there was a "maximum" of radiation and that once you had radiation for oral cancer, then you could not get it again even for a recurrence. I'm living proof that's no longer true.
But I've found out the hard way that personal stories get discounted so I'm sharing a quote from Spring/Summer 2010 edition of Dr. Hong, Director of Radiation Oncology in the Virginia Hospital Center's Health Reach:
[quote]CyberKnife: A Game Changer for Cancer: ...it allows us to enter uncharted territory and treat areas that we could not before...We can also treat sensitive areas that have been p;reviously irradiated...
[/quote]
CyberKnife is not used as the first treatment, that's the conventional IMRT but if God Forbid, you need more radiation after getting the "maximum", then CyberKnife can be used. The article goes on to describe what I personally experienced both ways
[quote]Because CyberKnife is so accurate, higher doses of radiation can be administered in fewer treatments. An entire course of CyberKnife therapy can be completed in one to five visits, whereas conventional radiation requires 30 to 45 treatment sessions.[/quote]
Not every hospital has CyberKnife but it was a much more pleasant experience than IMRT. I got 5 GY a session with CyberKnife instead of 2GY with IMRT - but you still need a mask with both of them.
Charm


65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin

Passed away 4-29-13