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Is it better to do DART Radiation after TORS Surgery or just Follow Up
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: May 13 10:07am | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
@cara5 you have a good question here, and everyone being different with different levels of cancer can offer some valuable experiences. As one who is 14 years out from ear canal SCC, surgery, and radiation with targeted therapy, I agree with @sandy8043 about fibrosis, dry mouth, etc post radiation. I am just now dealing with fibrosis of neck, shoulder and facial muscles. However, I have metastatic SCC and my first met to my lung was surgically removed but showed lymphovascular invasion. I had a followup surgery to remove more lung tissue 18 months later when a new met showed up. But my cancer is not HPV associated. HPV SCC is usually quite susceptible to radiation. If I were in that situation knowing what I do now, I would choose the DART therapy. Radiation side effects will be much less. Did they offer or discuss Proton vs Photon radiation? Proton is not available in many areas, but may have fewer side effects. Consider a second opinion, even with a video visit with a large cancer facility or referral center. Another doctor may have a different opinion. They are the ones reading the studies and knowing the results of each treatment. Everyone is an individual though, and making this decision is tough.
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@sepdvm Hi Sue, first let me say thank you for volunteering as a mentor for this group. It’s a wonderful way to help others going through the challenges of cancer.
I appreciate you bringing up some valid and helpful points. I forgot to mention that his DART Treatment would be done at the "30 gray level", for 2 weeks, 2 x day with baby doses of Docetaxyl. They would target just the neck. No one we spoke to mentioned Proton or Photon radiation, and maybe they felt DART would be the least harmful of the treatments??? We may have to look more into that, but the clock is ticking and we have about 2 weeks left in his surgery recovery to make a decision. I believe Mayo Jacksonville (which is where he received treatment) won’t have Proton available until 2027.
My husband spoke to the radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New Jersey, and they recommended adjunctive radiation. MSK is offering a trial at 30 gray, once a day with Cesplatin for chemo. Unfortunately, my husband has tinnitus and Cesplatin could potentially leave him deaf or with reduced hearing, so the DART radiation in conjunction with Docetaxyl is the better option for him.
In addition, my husband spoke to a friend who is an oncologist, and he mentioned that we can talk to many radiologists and oncologists and half will recommend radiation while the other half will say wait and observe. Nothing about this seems to be clear cut but I feel he is leaning towards doing DART.
Thank you again for your help. 😊