Radiotherapy after a neck dissection

Hi if it was me I would definitely say yes. 
I was 61 when I had 35 radiotherapy sessions to 10 hour chemo infusions would I do it again? Yes I won’t in the flash because it saved my life. I’m now six years post to treatment and happily living a good life which without the radio came out, I’m certain I wouldn’t be here today.

The treatment is brutal, but it is doable. If I can do it anyone can if you want to have a look at my blog below you’ll see how I’ve coped  with treatment.

Hazeln

Screech Owl said:

I had a neck dissection two years ago and turned down radiotherapy. 

Hi. Sorry your cancer is back. I would definitely have the RT. No contest. Where have they said they will target the RT? 
It’s Maddy isn’t it? I remember your posts from a couple of years back by the way. 

I believe I can do it - it's whether I want to.  I don't want to live with severe long term side effects.

Thanks for responding.  The target area is the left side of the neck where all the lymph nodes were removed.  Quality of life is really important to me. I would rather be dead than live with severe side effects of treatment.

Good evening Screech Owl, i had a neck direction in 2008 for floor of the mouth cancer, like you i had saliva glands and lymph nodes removed plus other suspect areas. I then had radio and chemo afterwards which i coped well with compared to some who struggle with the after-effects. Unfortunately, the cancer came back a year later with a tumour on my jawbone so i had reconstructive surgery. To be honest I just think I was very unlucky with my cancer and if i were you i would go for radiotherapy especially if the consultant is not confident he has removed it all. My consultant said its like when you pull out a weed/ plant, sometimes little bits of the roots are left behind. My last operation was in 2010 when my voicebox was removed and i never regret having the treatment of radio/chemo. We all react and recover differently from the treatment so steer clear of dr Google as it can be misleading. Good luck with the rest of your recovery, take care.

                                                                     Chris x

Screech Owl said:

. I would rather be dead than live with severe side effects of treatment.

I remember us having a similar conversation a couple of years ago. When I found out I had cancer at the back of my tongue that was inoperable I made my mind up along similar lines. It took very little time for my oncologist to convince me that side effects were not life changing and though the treatment was really pants most people made a good recovery. 
Has your consultant suggested that side effects might be life changing? In which case I would share your feelings exactly. I’m  not trying to be rude but might you be exaggerating in your mind? I’m trying to help. 
Radiotherapy to the neck is a challenge but side effects aren’t generally that bad in the long term. 

Life is precious . We, none of us, are an island. We touch others in ways that we don’t always realise or understand. 
That’s not to say we should clutch at life at any cost but be realistic about likely outcomes. 
Apologies again if I’ve gone too far. 

It’s rare that we get all the side effects. I’m 6 years and have slight dry mouth which is managed in the daytime with sugar free gum and night time xyimelts. I cant tolerate spicy food  but that’s just me. For me it was  better than the alternative. I would say I have  a good quality of life.but the decision of course is yours.plus I live 5 months of the year in Spain and ride my bike not electric up to 60 km a day not bad for a 67 year old  

Hazel x

Good evening ScreechOwl, i would certainly go for the radiotherapy and deal with any side effects as or if they happen especially if the consultant recommends it, i had three major surgeries in the head and neck area with radio and chemo after my first operation, and the most i suffered was sore skin and a dry mouth but a lot of that was due to the removal of saliva glands. At the time i had a young family mortgage etc so all i wanted was cancer removed, i have learned to live with my cancer, and even though my facial features have changed due to reconstructive surgery, im still the same person, and I live a good quality of life considering what i went through, my last operation was in 2010 and have never regretted my choices, please consider having the radio as i nobody i know on here has suffered side effects that have changed their lives that badly, in fact, most people are still the same living a carefree life. Wishing you all the best for your continued recover, take care.

                                                           Chris x

Hi Screech Owl

My case is similar to yours and I turned down RT twice as I had no "target".  Surgery was probably not as extensive but I had 2 dissections and tonsils removed. Last November a target turned up and their advice was no more surgery but CRT.  As I had something positive to zap I was happy to use my one shot on it.

I got the all clear from my PET and am now 6 months post the end of treatment.  Generally recovery is good.  Sometimes I am frustrated because I want more sooner.  That's my own fault!  Aside from the surgery already having dropped my saliva levels I don't think there much connection between the surgery effects and the CRT effects.  I am probably too early to say what the late/long term effects on me are, but I am eating well (I am careful about what I eat as my throat is still sore) and managing to live a relatively fulfilled life for such an early stage of recovery.  Fatigue is one thing that gets me, but again that is really my fault as I don't rest...

I am comfortable with the choices I have made in my journey and I would make the same again in similar circumstances.

Hi I know it's a very very hard decision to make. I had the same decision to make in April this year. I had stage 1 tongue cancer with no node spread. The consultant said he got it all but would have been happier with an extra mm margin. But it was all gone. He gave me three options. 1 leave and monitor, 2 go back in and take a little more away or RT. I didn't know what to do. I looked at the oncologist and asked him if it was his wife what would he do. Maybe I shouldn't have put him on the spot but he immediately said RT as belt and braces. Mine could have stayed with just the operation and had it reviewed every month but I'm not the sort of person who could sit back and not worry about it coming back . My son and daughter are both doctors and they were in the appointment with me and when we came out we chatted about it. I knew the oncologist was right and I needed reassurance that the RT would make sure it was all gone completely. So I did take it. I loaded up on high calorie foods and lots of protein as best I could before the RT to give myself a good chance of not losing weight and it worked. I kept up my exercise classes and walking up until I couldn't and I definitely think this all got me through. I'm 9 weeks post RT now. It is hard but mainly because I'm very impatient and maybe expect too much of myself. I'm healing well, lost no weight and eating everything even if it's slowly. It is hard I won't lie but I'm glad I took the RT. Every week it will improve. I have been to a wedding in England two weeks after I finished it. Plus Edinburgh two weeks after that and I'm just back from Leeds. I just focused on healthy eating, exercising ,and walking and I also went to counselling to help me understand it all as it was a total shock to me . A hard decision for you to make but maybe chatting to your cancer nurse or oncologist might help you. Take care and good luck xx