The particulars are in my signature. I am in the process of prepping for Radiation Therapy. I have an appointment early next week to talk with the Oncology doc about being part of a study that uses one particular type of chemo drug with Rad therapy for this specific type of cancer. I have honestly been vacillating back and forth about whether or not to proceed with Rad therapy or not.
My cancer was evidently caused by an incident in which I bit my tongue...it never healed due to constant rubbing on a tooth. Over a period of two years and one negative biopsy...a second biopsy finally returned a cancer diagnosis. I do not have any of the normal indicators of a cancer like this...don't smoke, don't drink, don't chew...never have.
During the Surgery it was discovered that the cancer had moved to a single lymph node and had also begun to infect the lymph tube (the reason for a stage 3 finding). The frozen biopsy's were done during surgery and the doctors are certain they got all the cancer. Radiation Therapy was recommended due to the possibility of cancer remaining at a cellular level that was undetected. The surgeon said that this is where the "science" of medicine and the "art" of medicine meet. He can't tell me that I am cancer free...and he can't tell me that I might still have cells in there. So, they follow the flowchart that helps to decide a treatment path which outlines risk factors and evidently according to the flow chart I am at high risk for a recurrence of the cancer.
I have been doing a lot of reading...trying to educate myself on this as rapidly as possible and have found that there are articles both pro and con all over the internet. I have read about all the really bad stuff to look forward to if I have Rad therapy...all the side effects including the possibility of a second unrelated cancer caused by the Rad Therapy...and the poor quality of life for a couple of years or more. I have tried to weigh that against the possibility (the gamble) of having a remaining cancerous cell somewhere lurking undetected....or maybe there aren't any!...no one knows. Could I use the fact that quite possibly my cancer was caused by the irritation and inflammation and not a biologically inherited factor as a reason to believe that the cancer was totally gone? If I take extra special really good care of myself for the rest of my life...will the neutraceuticals (vitamins and minerals) help to rid my body of any remaining cells?
It is this forum that helped to solidify my decision to pursue the Rad therapy! I read many many of the posts in here. I read of all the issues that folks are facing because of the Rad Therapy. But there was one statement that stuck...All it takes is one cell for everything to begin again. I hate this. I am not looking forward to it. I am scared. But I think it's the right decision.
