Radiation Options

I was diagnosed with Squamous cell throat cancer that has moved to the r/l limp nodes 1/17/08. No primary found to date. Am finishing with chemo and need to understand radiation options. We have a very good local treatment center here ( Hutchinson KS ), the Chalmers Cancer Treatment Center. They have the Varian 2100Ex system with IMRT. However they mentioned that in the next 3 months they would have the TomoTherapy HI-Art system available. Through my research this seems to be a great system for certain kinds of treatment to small areas, where protection of surrounding tissue is vital. Due to cost, there are not many of the systems around yet. Cancer Treatment Centrs of America have them at all their locations. Due to insurance issues we would be force to their Chicago ( Zion ) Il. location, which is a long way to travel. I have found that the Deaconess hosptal in Oklahoma City, about 3hrs. away the has one in use. Has any one heard of the advantages of the TomoTherapy Hi-Art systems.

You might get more responses from the Head and Neck section of this website.  Other throat patients are there.

Yes, I have heard of Tomo.  It is the next generation of IMRT.  Basically, it further targets the rad site.  Less residual damage.  Would have loved to have local access to this but didn't.  I do know someone who just completed tomo to head and neck with success.  Side effects during were  alot but this had nothing to do with the technology.

Hi DBlake,

I am a critical care RN with 25 years experience, but know little to nothing about oncology or radiology. My husband has recently been diagnosed with squamous cell of the tonsil with lymph node involvement---probably stage III---PET scan next week will give a little more insight to the staging. We are gearing up for chemo with 3 drugs for 9 weeks then chemo and radiation combo for 6 weeks---all to sart 4/21.

We met with the radiology oncologist last week and I asked her about tomo. ( I heard about it on this web site.) Our radiologist has "a lot" of experience with head and neck cancers. She was trained at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She stated that IMRT is considered to be the national standard of care. Evidently, there is still some trials with tomo. After a lengthy discussion, I understood IMRT would be best, but she offered to investigate a tomo location with highly recommended professionals if my husband has distant mets of the cancer as to avoid organ damage, ect.

Our plan is to go with IMRT, but if there is anyone who has found differing evidence I love to know about it!

DeniseB

Did they check any of your tonsil's? Just a thought as that is where my husband's primary was. The cancer had also attacked the lympnodes and he just had a major surgery to remove all  of them. Jerry's wife, Heather