pathology report positive for HPV and cancer but NavDx negative for both

my insurance approved proton, but because i had cancer on both sides of my throat I needed the larger cover area offered by photon.

Steven59, that’s great news, sorry it’s on both sides of your neck, it will make it harder to swallow. You’ll have swelling in both the inside and outside of your throat. My right side of my neck is still swollen and I finished in July 3rd. Take care and follow your Doctors instructions on exercises and keep you neck and exposed areas moisturized. Another survivor on here recommended Emu Oil, I used this and alternated with Aquafor. I think the Aquafor did the best for me. I would return home from treatment take my shirt off and apply the Aquafor and just let it soak in. Good luck and don’t let this bother you, keep the end game in sight.

Also, Swoosh you could consider getting a room for a week at a time to get treatment if you don't want to drive the nearly 4 hours each day. It is an option some folks on here have used.

Take care, God Bless-Russ

Proton is definitely the way to go if it applies to your case and you don't mind the drive or you are lucky enough to be near a proton machine. I did not realize there was now 40 proton machines around the United States. They must be putting them in at a pretty good pace. I remember way back when I looked them up and there were 9 or 10. I just did a quick look up and it says there are actually 42 proton machines available.

Last year one opened in my area at the Ann Barshinger Cancer Center in Lancaster PA, it's late for me but it will help many others.

Here is a web site that notes 43 proton centers--

Well, we are certainly Blessed to live in a time of so many treatment options.

Video--

The Pros and Cons of Proton Therapy | Mark Scholz, MD | PCRI

Take care, God Bless-Russ

You’re so welcome. I hope that he can use the Proton Therapy. The one thing that was difficult for us was driving 10 hours and staying 2 months in Houston, but it was worth it. There’s only I believe 94 Proton Centers throughout the world. MD Anderson Cancer Center, where I was treated, just built the one I used in 2014. They are building a second Proton Center behind the e first one. Eventually they will have two beams servicing 8 rooms. The center that I used was going 24/7. They treated patients from 6 am until 12 midnight, then that used the beam for research. I highly recommend this type treatment if possible. Lease feel free to ask me any questions, I will try my best to help you.

I didn’t know about it either, I was doing my own research and found the center. Then I asked my radiation Oncologist about going this route versus traditional radiation and he said yes it could treat my throat cancer, he checked with my insurance and the way approved it. After returning home, I again was doing g research and came across a study that indicated that Proton Therapy was a good choice to treat HPV induced cancer. The study indicated that HPV responded better with the Proton than regular radiation. They both work, I understood the study to indicate that HPV type responded better with the Proton Therapy. This confirmed that I made the right choice. I return September 1 for a CT Scan to make sure it’s gone. We had pets also and it was difficult, luckily we had good neighbors who helped take care of our animals. If I understand it you are in the Chicago area? We lived in Northwest Indiana until 1999 when we moved to West Texas.

That’s nice, can’t blame your neighbor, I’m retired Federal Law Enforcement and have some run ins with overly aggressive pit bulls. Your husband will really enjoy the weekends off. They give your skin time to heal a little bit. It’s sad that there are so few Proton Centers. Indiana doesn’t have any either, the closest locations are Chicago or St Louis. My cousin used to work for the Milwaukee Police Department, he finally got fed up and left. Hope everything works out for you and your husband.

mcb, I agree, and I am sure everybody does that we wish there were more Proton Centers available. The reason is the huge cost of just a single room Gantry unit, around $30, 000, 000 thirty million dollars.

As of 2018, the cost of a single-room particle therapy system is US$40 million, with multi-room systems costing up to US$200 million.

The University of Wisconsin is set to open one in 2024 at a cost of 438 million dollars for the cancer center and UW Health is paying around $60 million to install the Proton Machine.

UW Health expects to start treating patients with its proton therapy device in 2024, when construction on its new $438 million cancer treatment center is scheduled to be complete.

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/uw-health-invests-60m-new-upright-proton-beam-cancer-therapy-new-approach-treating

Here is another comment I found on the cost of Proton--

“You can buy a regular, commercial radiation machine for about $2 million and spend maybe another million to get it set up the way you want it, so a $3 million investment,” Shih added. “[Costs vary widely for proton centers], but ours was $50 million. It's all about that investment.”Aug 25, 2021

From this article--

I am praying for successful treatment for everyone and clear scans ahead.

Take care, God Bless-Russ

Thanks

Since I had cancer on both sides of my neck I was better suited for photon, but I whined enough that my radiologist gave me proton for the last 5 of my 30 treatments. I went to NWM in Chicago for surgery tonsils and lymph nodes both sides and radiation also NWM Warrenville about a 30 mile drive west down 88 from the city.