 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Hi Bill,
I did not have IMRT radiation but the salivary glands on my "good" side were spared so dry mouth is an issue, but a small one that get's better as time goes on. I asked my doc about IMRT one visit and he said that is used on certain types of tumors, ones that the docs KNOW is contained to one certain spot so they can focus the radiation on that spot only. He said the chances of undetected mets to the lymphnodes is somewhere around 20-25% and that IMRT can't be given to an area if a doc doesn't know there is cancer in that particular area.
If I were to have IMRT I suspect I would push for a neck disection to make sure there was no cancer in my lymphnodes, that is the only sure way to tell.
Good luck with it,
Minnie
SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.
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