Oral cancer: proton vs photon radiation?

For my daughter who has a Glioblastoma and the surgery didn't remove all of the tumor .

@bbloom, whether proton beam therapy is a treatment option for you will be determined by your cancer care team. You may wish to connect with others here:
– Tongue Cancer: What are my treatment options? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cancer-under-my-tongue-and-raised-lymph-nodes/

Has it been determined that you have tongue cancer?

I may have cancer of the tongue, the biopsy (below) reveled squamous cells:

Comment: The specimen contains cytologically bland squamous cells with verrucoid
architecture and pushing border. Immunohistochemistry performed on block A shows
that p16 is negative and p53 is not overexpressed. Ki 67 is mostly in the
basilar layer. HPV 6/11 and 16/18 in situ hybridizations are both negative. PASD
stain reveals no definite fungal elements. The differential diagnosis is broad
and clinical correlation is recommended.

Having already undergone chemo and radiation for neck cancer (2nd pet scan for those cancers came back clean), the doctors thought I was battling severe thrush, or Leukopenia. If it is tongue cancer, would proton therapy be a potential option?

Hi @kco,
Conventional radiation (photon) uses a beam of x-rays that travel through the body in a straight line. It deposits its energy in the normal tissues around the targeted tumor. Proton Beam therapy uses pencil beam scanning to deliver concentrated radiation to the tumor while minimizing the exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. You can read more about Proton Beam Therapy here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/proton-therapy/about/pac-20384758

Proton therapy isn't widely available in the United States. Mayo has treated oral cancer with proton beam therapy since we opened in 2015.

Fellow members @puprluvr and @rgotto41 may be able to share more about their experiences. @kco, are you deciding which radiation treatment to have?