newbie to radiation treatment

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Bunny906
Bunny906 Member Posts: 9
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi - I will be starting radiation next week. I have tonsil cancer on one side & my  doctor wants  to do radiation on each side, although no indication of cancer to the other side. Is this the norm? Anyone else have this two sided treatment? Thanks for any help!

 

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  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    edited August 2017 #2
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    I did...

    for NPC (nasopharyngeal cancer)....the side the cancer was on got heavy duty rads....the other side, was lighter.  All my side effects happened on the heavy side, and the other side felt little effect.

    p

  • Bunny906
    Bunny906 Member Posts: 9
    #3
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    phrannie51 said:

    I did...

    for NPC (nasopharyngeal cancer)....the side the cancer was on got heavy duty rads....the other side, was lighter.  All my side effects happened on the heavy side, and the other side felt little effect.

    p

    radiation

    Thank you phrannie51 - I'm having a difficult time swallowing now before my treatments begin. This morning felt like my throat was closing up on me, much better now! Did you have 35 rads & chemo? This is the treatment plan they have for me.

  • armana
    armana Member Posts: 97 Member
    #4
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    Bunny906 said:

    radiation

    Thank you phrannie51 - I'm having a difficult time swallowing now before my treatments begin. This morning felt like my throat was closing up on me, much better now! Did you have 35 rads & chemo? This is the treatment plan they have for me.

    My Experience

    I was diagnosed with stage III tonail cancer 3 years ago. I got 6 1/2 weeks of radiation on both sides of my neck but 1/2 the dose on the side with no cancer,

    I have been cancer free so far with no side effects except some dry mouth

     

  • Klingels
    Klingels Member Posts: 78
    #5
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    radiation

    My husband also has cancer in one tonsil, but his medical team radiated both sides. They told him there is a strong tendency for the cancer to spread to the other tonsil. He had 3 doses of Cisplatin (chemotherapy) over an 8 week period and 35 radiation treatments.

  • Bunny906
    Bunny906 Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2017 #6
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    armana said:

    My Experience

    I was diagnosed with stage III tonail cancer 3 years ago. I got 6 1/2 weeks of radiation on both sides of my neck but 1/2 the dose on the side with no cancer,

    I have been cancer free so far with no side effects except some dry mouth

     

    Radiation

    Thank you for this info Armana & congratulations on being cancer free!

  • Bunny906
    Bunny906 Member Posts: 9
    #7
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    Radiation

    Thank you Klingels for this info - not looking forward to 7 chemo  treatment & 35 radiation treatments.  Staying positive for a good outcome!

  • lewcap
    lewcap Member Posts: 23
    #8
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    Radiation and hair loss?

    Just finished 5 weeks of  radiation which followed 12 1/2 hours of surgery. Noticed what I believe is hair loss today but my usually very open care team has not discussed this. Can anyone address hair loss/head and neck cancer and radiation? thanks.

  • soonermom
    soonermom Member Posts: 155
    edited August 2017 #9
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    Hair loss

    My husband lost his hair only in a perfect line at the base of the radiation treatment area at the back of the neck.  He also no longer grows facial hair in some of the treatment area.  My understanding is that in time he may begin to get hair back in those places.  

  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    #10
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    Had both sides

    I was BOT on the  left side, with left lymph node involvement and had rads to both sides, thought the zap to the right side was to get at the tumors from another angle, not because there was any issue on the right. 

  • Klingels
    Klingels Member Posts: 78
    #11
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    Hair loss

    My husband also lost hair in the radiation treatment area. He no longer has a beard on the right side of his face, and it is patchy on the left.

  • Andy13460
    Andy13460 Member Posts: 115
    #12
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    Hair loss

    Stopped shaving after about 2 weeks of radiation by week 7 had lost hair at the back base of skull from the radiation. 41 days post treatment having to shave every couple of days but nothing on my neck to shave. Hair is starting to grow at the back base of skull now. This no shaving lark is great but I wouldnt recomend it as a hair removal method. 

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