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New HPV-16 back of tongue cancer diagnosis and treatment to date
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Aug 12, 2025 | Replies (41)Comment receiving replies
These post are so helpful! Thank you so much for writing them. I start the Dart 2.0 program for HPV cancer on Monday. I had surgery for a tumor at the base of my tongue and a bilateral neck dissection removing 21 lymph nodes (2 showed cancer). The surgery was in December and I had a negative NaV DX test (so a 0) 2 weeks after surgery. My treatment will be 10 days total Monday-Friday starting Feb 17 and ending Feb 28th. It will include 2 rounds of radiation every day for those 10 days, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I will also get 2 rounds of
docetaxel, 1 round on both Mondays. Sounds like your treatment was 5 weeks. Did you get the option for 2 weeks? Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience, it really is so helpful.
Replies to "These post are so helpful! Thank you so much for writing them. I start the Dart..."
Hi Christi. So sorry I have neglected to get on this site for quite a while. Today I have made several update posts. Long and short of it is that six months after completing a five week long regimen of daily radiation and once a week cisplatin (chemo), I remain cancer free. Cancer free statement based upon negative NavDX blood tests and no cancer shown in PET and CT scans.
My tumors had progressed too far to permit surgery so I had to do the longer radiation/chemo route. In the end, and with 20/20 hindsight, I really believe that this route may have been the best one.
My thoughts and prayers for your successful treatment results with no/limited side effects!
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Welcome, @christiholtorfhomes.
For anyone unfamiliar with DART 2.0, it stands for de-escalated adjuvant radiation therapy, a treatment for patients with HPV oropharynx cancer. You can read more about it at Mayo Clinic here:
- De-escalated therapy improves quality of life following oropharynx cancer treatment https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/cancer/news/de-escalated-therapy-improves-quality-of-life-following-oropharynx-cancer-treatment/mac-20538563
I agree that @4dogsrental's detailed experience is really helpful.
@christiholtorfhomes, rest well this weekend. 🙂 Do you have any questions about what to expect? May I ask which Mayo location you'll be getting treatment (sun or snow)?