anyone heard of the VMAT radiation

adamson091654
adamson091654 Member Posts: 16
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I am a 56 year old male. I have been diagnosed with HPV-16 cancer. I had a lump removed from my neck (attached to lymph-node) and now I am seeing the doctor for the treatment prescription (radiation and chemo.) I will be getting my treatment at the VCU Massey center in Richmond, VA. Does anyone have any experience with the new VMAT radiation device? Can anyone suggest treatment options. Can I get through the 6 1/2 weeks od chemo and radiation w/o the peg feeding tube. Can I workout (old bodybuilder) with weights and bike? Thanks...

Comments

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #2
    VMAT
    First time I hear of it. Less dose of radiation, less time on the table, less movement by the patient improves accuracy, same result, all equates to a win-win situation. Take advantage of it. Your tissue damage should be less than ours.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
    ratface said:

    VMAT
    First time I hear of it. Less dose of radiation, less time on the table, less movement by the patient improves accuracy, same result, all equates to a win-win situation. Take advantage of it. Your tissue damage should be less than ours.

    I have never heard of VMAT
    I have never heard of VMAT so I googled:

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94621.php

    The reduced table time sounds good to me. Five minutes or less, wow. Also sparing more tissue sounds good as well.

    As far as a PEG tube goes, I am glad I changed my mind before I started and went with every doctor I saw and their recommendation to get one. I did not have much weight to lose when I started. I was 5'2" 120-125 lbs when diagnosed. They wanted me to gain weight before I started rads and went to about 130. I maintained my weight through rads with the peg exclusively because my mouth was just destroyed. I did well maintaining the weight until my side effects peaked and I was so Ill I lost 40 lbs. I ended up having to get an overnight pump to put nutrition in super slowly.

    There are some people here that have made it without one but I know I would have died without mine. If you don't have weight to lose then I would get one and if you need it fine, it's there. If you don't put it in you may not be able to get in enough nutrition and hydration to keep you functioning and being able to get thru a grueling treatment. For me the mouth pain and bleeding were unbearable. For others it was not as intense. I was not prepared for how hard eating would be. It became impossible for me by mouth. And I'm not a whimp. I had never taken perscription pain meds previous to cancer. I even had a biopsy on my tongue and never took prescription pain meds. During rads I was on 75 mcgs of fentanyl and was still in really terrible pain.

    Also despite the tons of water and gatorade and liquid nutrition I put thru my tube, I had problems with dehydration and low potassium and ended up needing fluids once a week. There was no way I would have been able to get my calories orally.

    Best wishes

    Sweet
  • adamson091654
    adamson091654 Member Posts: 16
    #4
    sweetblood22 said:

    I have never heard of VMAT
    I have never heard of VMAT so I googled:

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94621.php

    The reduced table time sounds good to me. Five minutes or less, wow. Also sparing more tissue sounds good as well.

    As far as a PEG tube goes, I am glad I changed my mind before I started and went with every doctor I saw and their recommendation to get one. I did not have much weight to lose when I started. I was 5'2" 120-125 lbs when diagnosed. They wanted me to gain weight before I started rads and went to about 130. I maintained my weight through rads with the peg exclusively because my mouth was just destroyed. I did well maintaining the weight until my side effects peaked and I was so Ill I lost 40 lbs. I ended up having to get an overnight pump to put nutrition in super slowly.

    There are some people here that have made it without one but I know I would have died without mine. If you don't have weight to lose then I would get one and if you need it fine, it's there. If you don't put it in you may not be able to get in enough nutrition and hydration to keep you functioning and being able to get thru a grueling treatment. For me the mouth pain and bleeding were unbearable. For others it was not as intense. I was not prepared for how hard eating would be. It became impossible for me by mouth. And I'm not a whimp. I had never taken perscription pain meds previous to cancer. I even had a biopsy on my tongue and never took prescription pain meds. During rads I was on 75 mcgs of fentanyl and was still in really terrible pain.

    Also despite the tons of water and gatorade and liquid nutrition I put thru my tube, I had problems with dehydration and low potassium and ended up needing fluids once a week. There was no way I would have been able to get my calories orally.

    Best wishes

    Sweet

    still looking for someone that has used VMAT
    I have gone through a week and a half of radiation (IMRT) and one chemo. My doctor suggested that the program for my raditiation treatment can be optimized with chaging to the VMAT/IMRT. He says that this will save more good tissue. The problem that I have is there is no other patient w/Neck canceer that has used VMAT. Any help would be appreciated...

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