I'm 80 years old. Radiation?

@astromberg
I am not familiar with subglottis squamous cell carcinoma. I have had squamous cell carcinoma in the past but had MOHS surgery on it. I assume from your post that they wanted to do radiation treatments. You mentioned voice is the cancer somewhere in your throat or head area?

Did they recommmend photon radiation or proton. The difference is photo radiation enters the body, through the body, and out the body. Proton enters body as reduced dose, releases the radiation at a specific location and does not exit the body. Proton is used (per my R/Os) for cancers of prostate, eye, brain, eye, etc. where they really need to control the damage done by radiation to surrounding tissus and organs.

I had 30 rounds of proton radiation at UFHPTI. A very reknown and experience medical facility doing proton radiation on cancers since 2006. I had minor side affects. Nothing that affect my life style or activities I wanted to do with the exception of bike riding they did not want me to do prior, during, and right after.

Talk to your R/O about photon and proton. Side affects of both and what is best for you. Get second opinions if in any doubt as is your body your cancer so it is your decision.

I'm 76 and I have refused radiation post breast carcinoma in milk duct removal by surgery. 2005.
I'm still here and a fellow bowler 95 had hers left in and is still here.

I refused post RAI treatment after Thyroidectomy with 12 lymphs removed papillary and considered LOW RISK. Agreeing with the top USA Thyroid surgeon Mr Gary Clayman.

With this I refused to be under .5 TSH in suppression.

Its a personal decision.

But from the onset of so many others getting into trouble with over treatment and treatment not overriding further cancer, I choose no radioactive treatment or chemotherapy.

On my 4th year ultrasound check, I have some calcification questioned. Scarring or not removed lymph nodes not taken.

I don't blame anyone and they can be removed - my choice if it comes to that. Papillary grows 1mm a year. 1 x 8mm and 1 x 7mm. The other is probably my thymus.

I can live with my own decision. I've heard others saying that the RAI treatment did not stop the cancer returning or in left lymphs. Damage was in parathyroids not working, voice box, throat, oesophagus etc and leukaemia.

That's a lot of treatments. Consider your QOL as you go through these.

Without any intrusion, please make the right decision for you and you only. Get the printout of risks if you undergo these treatments.

In this 4th year Radiography suggested a RAI SCAN or PET scan. I have AF rapid and persistent, I questioned stopping my synthroid for 3 weeks - making me TSH 50 + HYPO in extreme. Side effects rapid heart rate. I take Diltiazem 120 CD mg AM to control for H/R Day 100 or under and a little for BP.

Two days into stopping I went from 1.7 to 5 TSH. Already HYPO over normal range.

The surgeon had a pow wow with the thyroid team including in Auckland. I was changed to a PET Scan. I missed two mornings. No sugar, iodine or stressful exercise the day prior.

So last year I had 2 CT Scans, PET scan and MRI of pituitary gland which showed warm. Nothing in the brain area noted as being a problem. Overall the above 3 areas of macro calcification showed no change and therefore was inconclusive for cancer. This area not been pictured before. Lined up for a further CT Scan with contrast in May 2025.

Are we guinea pigs or what. I would rather leave another test for a year.

Your absolute choice? How is your QOL?

I can feel for you.

In September after 6 weeks returning from 12-day Russian River Cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow. St Petersburg my favourite city, I had a stroke embolic (stray clot made by the AF undiagnosed) with rapid and persistent AF and on 4th day "you have a shadow on your thyroid" - Thyroid Papillary Cancer.

I fought for correct meds. In December 2021 I was encouraged to see a private heart specialist after an Endocrinologist whom I did not enjoy or like, then a public heart specialist who left me on 156 heart beats a minute.

This private person so interested put me on CCB Diltiazem 180 CD mg AM. My H/R in 2 hours came down in 2 hours! GREAT GREAT. Then adjusted to 120 CD mg and less Bisoprolol to 2.5mg PM. But now no Beta Blockers. More energy.

I wish you all the very best whichever you decide. Don't be pressured. Use your own womanly intuition.

cherio JOY. (tuckie)

@jc76 Wow, I never heard of this "Proton Radiation" How are you feeling are you cancer free?

@cskippy
Proton radiation began around 2006. It was really expensive to built so very few centers back then. Since then much more common but still not used as much as photon radiation as still very expensive to built and use so many insurances balk at it and a lot of medical institutions' don't want the expense.

All Mayo Clinics have them now. I was treated at UFHPTI back in 2023 as Mayo Jacksonville had not built their new cancer center then. Mayo cancer center is now built and has proton radiation along with photon.

When I was at UFHPIT I saw a lot of children there. Proton is used on children as can lesson the damage to secondary tissues, organs, etc. Being children their life span is so much longer that an adult so the chance of secondary cancers from radiation is lessoned.

Also saw a lot of eye, brain, throat cancers being treated there. And with proton radiation being stopped at treatment spot you can see why. They can really control the radiation beam with proton and have it stop at the point they want and not continue through body. I had pencil beam proton radiation and that is even a more tightly controlled radiation beam.

Why? I have a ICD/pacemaker and UFHPTI has a physics department that sets up the parameters for radiation treatments. Their physic department recommended the pencil beam because of my ICD/Pacemaker and wanted the beam controlled even more to keep away from any interference with my ICD Pacemaker.

When you have prostate cancer they will tell you never to say cured. They do give survival rates based on your type, what stage, etc. Stage 1 has over a 99% survival rate for 5 years. Then it steadily goes down with other stages where has metastasized outside of prostate.

What my radiation/oncologist (R/O) uses in my case (low risk cancer and did not have surgical removal of prostate) uses a PSA (% of a protein made by prostate) of my being below 1. as a sign cancer has not returned. A traditional PSA test for undetectable is < .l But if you have a prostate you are going to have PSA as is normal.

Those with surgical removal of prostate many labs now use what they call a ultra sensitive test. That test has a much lower number for undetectable as should not have PSA above that much lower number if prostate removed.

With us men we are told if we live long enough we will have prostate cancer. Sadly most of us are told we will die from something else than our prostate cancer. That is okay for me as long as it is death from old age of being a centurion.

For me I hope to be around to see prevention of prostate cancer the topic and not treatments.

Hi,
I have contacted the Mayo Clinic , Phoenix to see if I'm a candidate that they would accept for proton radiation treatments. Only photon is available in my area and from the comments I've read in this forum and additional research, I don't want to deal with the associated possible side effects. I'm currently waiting to hear from the Mayo staff. If that doesn't work I'll just go on day by day, stay positive and pray for the best outcome.