 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | I believe I read the Occult Primaries account for about 5% of OC cases.
It is known that our cancer started (Primary) somewhere in the oral cavity and if they can't find it they adjust the scope of the radiation field to cover the entire cavity. Given that they usually only expose us to 70 to 72 Gys it means that they have to spread the same amount over a greater target potentially under utilizing the radiation they have. This is a real simple explanation and there are many more variables that can affect the outcome of one's radiation Tx so I wouldn't give much weight to having an Occult Primary. JM2C's
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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