Connie,

I’m sorry to hear of your troubles! I’ve had a cancerous tumor wrapped around my left carotid artery about 5 years ago! They found it as they were doing a neck dissection, cleaned up what they could, and closed the surgical site. They sent me off to their sister hospital in manhattan where they did testing to see if I could survive with one artery, and passed their extentsive testing. About 7 days later I had a neck dissection again, and removal of my carotid artery where the tumor was wrapped around. It has to be wrapped around, I believe, more than 80%. The surgery was successful, but due to the tumor size or biopsy of surrounding tissue, chemo and radiation was recommended. I did Proton Radiation, and Chemo for 5 weeks! The radiation was at the Proton center in NJ where I had to hire someone to drive me each day, and went to my oncologist in Staten Island for chemo! I’ve been cancer free for a year now!

I’ve never had cyberknife. I’ve had IMRT twice , which most of us had, and then IORT twice which is done during surgery, and then finally Proton Radiation, which is the best!

Last edited by PaulB; 03-09-2020 07:04 AM.

10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs