 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Technically it's not a chemo "boost", it is an adjunct to the radiation. My RO explained that the addition of adjunctive chemo, such as Cisplatin, can improve survival odds as much as 13%. It was worth the misery...
It is an alkylating agent that adds oxygen to the tissues which in turn enhances the effects of the radiation.
The term "boost" is more often used when an increased amount of radiation is used. Typical H&N total doses are around 60-66 Gy, with "boost" can be as high as 72Gy, which would add a few more days of RT.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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