#41467 06-24-2007 09:42 PM | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 12 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 12 | Hi there.
My partner is worried that if he has radiation that you can't have surgery again in the area where you had the radiation. Is this true?
I heard somewhere too that you can't have radiation in the same area later on.
Partner diagnosed with low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of sublingual gland, 2nd opinion graded intermediate grade, surgery to remove,lymph nodes removed one side, nodes all clear. Treatment - radiation.
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#41468 06-25-2007 05:24 PM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | Tissues that have been radiated heal less well than normal tissues as the radiation destroys some of the micro-vascularization. This is not the same as saying it can't be done, but it has some drawbacks. Sometimes 02 dives are used pre surgery to overcome this problem. I had my neck dissection after 72 cycles of radiation to it, and it healed well, and there were no complications.
Radiation has a maximum lifetime dosage, making it a limited treatment modality, and only in very few cases (now with the advent of very targeted radiotherapy) can radiation SOMETIMES be done a asecond time.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
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#41469 06-26-2007 06:53 AM | Joined: May 2007 Posts: 61 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: May 2007 Posts: 61 | Unforunatley, I am getting ready to have surgery, 4 months post-radiation. They weren't able to get my full tumor w/ rad and chemo so now I have to have surgery. So, yes it is possible. My ent thinks he can get it out. Of course, I will have to lose almost half of my tongue. At this point, however, I'm just ready to be rid of the tumor. Another radiologist in Chicago told me he would do radiation w/ a very targeted plan a second time, if absolutley necessary. It would have horrible side effects, though.
Let's just pray your partner will get rid of it w/ radiation and you won't have to worry about it.
SCC-tongueT3N0M0- IMRT 35times-1/07-3/07; along with one cycle of Cisplat & one cycle of Carboplat; weekly erbitux.finished all tx.3/07-supposedly gone. Recurrence 6/07. Age 31-non-smoker/social drinker. Devastated it's back.
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#41470 06-27-2007 03:32 AM | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 168 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 168 | This is a good topic. I read alot about it and my ENT told me about it the drawbacks after rad but he as well was confident that he could do the surgery with only a few added minor complications for him not necessarily for me. I had a very hard time explaining this to my wife.
Lee, age 33, stage 4a, T2N2bM0, Tumor left tonsil (removed), 2 left side nodes removed (poorly differientiatied)total of 3 nodes involved. Treatment IMRT x33/ 2x Cysplatin completed. Good Health and Good Help to you.
Lee
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