 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 624 | Hi Paul --
Both ACS and NCI strongly advise getting a second opinion on any cancer diagnosis. This is both on the pathology and staging and the proposed treatment. In fact, some insurance carriers require it. It is NOT a slur to your first doctor to seek such an opinion; when we went to Hopkins our doctor freely gave us the names of 2nd opinion consults (we went to Sloan) and the same thing happened last year with the prostate diagnosis. (In fact for that we got 3 opinions as Barry's treatment options were much greater).
I did google several articles last night which compared IMRT to the older technologies and these seemed to reinforce the advice others have given you to get IMRT if you can.
Best,
Gail
CG to husband Barry, dx. 7/21/05, age 66, SCC rgt. tonsil, BOT, 2 nodes (stg. IV), HPV+, tonsillectomy, 7x carboplatin, 35x tomoTherapy IMRT w/ Ethyol @ Johns Hopkins, thru treatment 9/28/05, HPV vaccine trial 12/06-present. Looking good!
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