Is there anyone out there who has had any experience with Re radiation?

My husband has stage iv cancer. Has had 3/4 of his tongue removed and a radical neck dissection in Feb 2009. That was followed by 7 weeks of radiation combined with 6 cycles of Cisplatin Chemo which ended in June 2009.

His cancer came back in August 2009. From Sept. 2009 to March 2010 he had Erbitux, Carbotaxol, plus 1 other drug chemo. He has a new cancer site below his thyroid.

Re radiation is now being considered. Does anyone have any experience with re radiation? What can be expected? What should I be asking my husband's doctors?

I had radiation on my left side in 2004, and on my right side in 2007/early 2008. It was very similar to the first time both in application and side effects, with the notable exception that the fatigue is extreme and they don't know if it will ever get any better. Still, for me, a small price to pay to be here! Hope more people chime in, but my thought is to definitely go for it. Having said that, I realize that my re-radiation was to a different spot so treatment pains, etc will likely be different. Hugs

Donna

"re-radiation" could have two meanings: getting radiation a second time to the same tumor area or alternatively, to a different area. I know I was originally told that I could not have the exact same tumor area "re-radiated" as I already had 72 GYs, yet when the tumor came back and the pathology report was bad after salvage surgery, the RO reversed himself on a "technicality" by setting me up for a second round of radiation but not IMRT like the first. I had CyberKnife which is super focused and onlt 25 GY but 5 GY a day but all right at the original tumor area. It went much better than the first round of radiation but it only took a week instead of 10 weeks of IMRT
As far as questions for the doctors:
1. How much radiation did my Husband have the first time
(65 Grays, 70 Grays, 72 Grays ?) That's so you can have a baseline on his total dosage and the less he had before, the more he can still have)
2. Is this radiation to the same area? It's less worrisome if it's new tissue.Sure the extra radiation did fry tissues a little too much especially near the hyboid bone so I can't swallow or eat or drink anymore but it has kept the cancer from coming back a third time so far (which was the plan)
I also did a second round of chemo, but platinum based instead of the Erbitux.
It's terrible when the cancer comes back and so unfair. But there is still hope
Charm