I also had an unknown primary and the problem with that is they do not know what to eradiate so they 'fry' everything. My field of radiation was from the top of my ear lobes to my armpits. Make sure they do something to protect your saliva glands and tongue.

I made it through my 37 treatments of normal radiation without a PEG and would NOT recommend getting one if you can swallow normally before you start radiation. Yes, you will living on Ensure Plus or some other high protein swill, but pouring it in through your stomach doesn't taste any better. Bulk up before hand. I keep reading on this forum of problems, like severe trismus and swallowing not to mention stomach muscle pain, of the people who have had the PEG and wonder why they opted for this until they absolutely needed it. I also know lots of other people who get through radiation without the PEG and didn't lose a significant amount of weight. I think it depends on what other surgery to the mouth one had before they started radiation. I'd take and wait and see approach.

The one thing to remember, which I was loath to find out when I developed cancer of the larynx 4 years later, is you can only have radiation to an area once. I would find out just how broad an area they intend to radiate. I suspect it will be very large as mine was.

Good luck. You CAN and WILL get through this.