New HPV-16 back of tongue cancer diagnosis and treatment to date

I was treated at Mayo 4 years ago for SCC on the base of my tongue and a couple of lymph nodes. I wasn't a surgical candidate so I had radiation and chemo. At that time they were trying to reduce the radiation received. For me, I received 70 gys over 33 sessions (5 per week) , rather than the same amount over 35 sessions, plus weekly chemo. I would think less radiation over fewer sessions would be very helpful since the radiation seems to be the main cause of side-effects.

Good luck!

Part 2.
I am going to now provide my experience receiving treatments in the DART 2.0 Trial Study that I described in Part 1. Obviously, we all have different, sometimes very different, experiences in treatment results based upon too many factors to name here. I pray that many, no all, of you can experience treatments the way that I have. Undoubtedly, it sucks to have to endure this, and it is not easy, but it can be endured.
Listening to our doctors and other specialists in the Mayo staff is a must. Doing all the exercises they recommend is a must. Eating the right foods, drinks, etc. and avoiding foods they recommend be avoided is a must.
Getting your mind and soul in the right place before, during and, I expect, after treatments is a must. Do all these things and you give yourself the greatest chance to kick cancer butt.
Note: drink a lot of water and fluids even before starting treatments is no joke. Continue drinking throughout treatments. Gets tougher and tougher to swallow, even liquids, and by Week 4 it was a one swallow at a time proposition. But I hope you will realize as I did that if you can do the first few swallows something makes the next bunch of swallows a bit easier, then the next few much easier than that; but always still one swallow at a time. There is a reason why we get 2 days of hydration each week when we receive the cisplatin; hydration is super important particularly when you add the impacts of the radiation.
Week 1
5 radiation treatments (each 2 gry)
1 cisplatin chemotherapy session (started at 40 whatever)
2 hydration sessions

My first week of treatments breezed by. My cisplatin treatment took between 4 and 5 hours. First through the IV: saline for an hour. Next, saline joined by a steroid (Dexa-something). Next an anti-nausea drug (long lasting); next anther anti-nausea drug (short term); then the cisplatin; followed by saline again. Done.
Note: protocol gave me 3 days of the Dexa steroid, one dose each day after chemo treatment (each Tuesday) each week. After week 2 it felt to me like being able to take the Dexa was a huge benefit in terms of pain/swallowing. I realized that beginning the day after my third day of Dexa (took Dexa Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and until I received more Dexa in the IV during chemotherapy treatment, my pain in throat and swallowing steadily increased and then subsided as soon as I got the Dexa in my IV on Tuesday.
Thankfully no nausea and no side effects from chemotherapy.
Weeks 1 through 4, I was basically able to start each day with yogurt, carnation instant breakfast and during the days eat some more yogurt, applesauce, rice pudding, really chewed up chicken, turkey or fish (not much of any of it though, ie, not a full meal) shakes, ice cream. Everything I put in my mouth I chewed up to a creamy soft before attempting to swallow.

Week 2
5 radiation treatments
1 cisplatin chemotherapy treatment (40)
2 hydration sessions

Cisplatin chemotherapy session and radiation sessions once again uneventful. Actually, entire week pretty uneventful.
Started to feel some pain in throat toward end of week. Continued at least 4, often more, gargling sessions with salt/baking soda combo. Noticed some impact from pain on throat/swallowing but not enough to adversely effect eating or require pain relief.
Week 3
1 cisplatin chemotherapy session (30)
5 radiation treatments
2 hydration sessions

During Week 2 and into Week 3, I experienced several episodes of ringing in the ears, a few in left ear and a few in right ear. Told chemo doctor and he reduced dosage of cisplatin from the 40 whatever down to 30. Ringing in ear (tinnitus) is a potential side effect of cisplatin and could become chronic issue. Future cisplatin doses to be only 30.
Pain in throat/mouth much more apparent. Gargling a lot for temporary relief with the salt/baking soda combo. Works well. Doing all exercises, plus some extra ones.
Avoiding extra pain management as I don’t like taking drugs and figured I would benefit most, and feel the benefits of pain relief drugs, if I waited until I really needed them.
Third cisplatin chemo treatment was at reduced dosage (30), as explained above, and at the new dosage, uneventful.
The frequency of being poked for blood tests and poked for chemo treatments and hydration (2 times a week) started to wear upon my arms. In trial, I agreed to submitting to weekly blood draws and some other things apparently not present in the ordinary standard of care protocol. Hence, the arm poking fatigue.
Eat/drink warm fluids and cold stuff (shakes, ice cream, icees, anything; it will give some relief to pain in throat).
Losing ability to taste food and drink. Only could taste prune juice, mushrooms and French fries (tasted the potato).