Welcome to OCF! Selecting a treatment plan is a difficult decision. Unfortunately with our type of cancer, we often do not have much of a choice if we want to eliminate the cancer and survive. Physicians at comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) work together using a team based approach. They will determine treatment plans by using the NCCN guidelines.

When first diagnosed with cancer its not easy to figure everything out. Many times Ive seen patients decline when they have a choice on getting a feeding tube or port. These tools help make treatments easier to get thru. Maybe its because they feel like their life is so out of control that when they finally get something to make a choice they say "NO"! Im hoping you will listen to everything all of your physicians have said before making a decision to go with proton therapy instead of the conventional treatment plan. When a patient is Stage IV they shouldnt wait too to start getting treated.

If you use the SEARCH function in the upper right corner of the forum you can find many posts about proton therapy. Not many members have had this type of radiation, its usually IMRT. Im not sure what the reasons behind this are but it could be its not as effective on our type of cancer. Thats just a guess. In the results from a search you will find many posts about proton therapy.

Heres a link to the Head and Neck Cancer NCCN Guidelines to read about treatment plans in detail.

NCCN H&N Cancer Guidelines