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vocal cord cancer

gene64
gene64 CSN Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I have Vocal cord cancer and I also have a pace maker, I have been told that radation treatment can burn out a pace maker, any body with the same?
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  • denistd
    denistd CSN Member Posts: 597
    #2
    HI Gene, I do not have a
    HI Gene, I do not have a pacemaker but I did go through a quadruple bypass in may of 2008, then an endarterectomy of My carotid in December 08, then was told in March of 09 that I had vocal cord cancer. I was a stage three scc but with a relatively small tumor. I did not have surgery just rads and three rounds of high dose cistplatin chemo. My radiation Onc doc had to work with my cardio to ensure that everything was ok, my cardio said that the radiation would not affect my heart, but was concerned about the side effects of chemo. Luckily I had no really severe side effects from any treatment, I lost taste, weight, saliva etc. My heart and carotids were tested after the treatments and every thing was OK, I am just over nine months out of treatment and doing well. I was back at work after two months, weight has returned, taste is back, saliva about 50%. With the pacemaker being a mechanical device, I would think that the radiologist has come across this before and should be able to tell you this. Denis
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