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Treatment

If the plan of treatment is radiation therapy alone for a primary head cancer, the neck is also treated with radiation therapy. If surgery is necessary to remove the primary tumor, radiation therapy may be given afterward. Depending on the extent of the cancer, radiation may be used first in an attempt to shrink the tumor.  Recent studies indicate that chemotherapy given at the same time as radiation therapy is more effective than if chemotherapy is given before a course of radiation therapy.

RAS Radiation Oncology Centers (ROC) treat cancer with three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiation therapy, a technology that enables the beams of radiation to be finely adjusted to match the shape of the tumor. In this method, multiple radiation fields deliver calculated doses of radiation to head and neck tumors while at the same time minimizing the amount of radiation to nearby healthy tissue. Accurate targeting enables safe use of higher power radiation, to more effectively target, shrink and kill tumors.  Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that enables greater precision and even distribution of radiation. IMRT is particularly applicable for treatment of cancers of the head, neck and thyroid where critical organs are at risk.

What to Expect
Your RAS team members will carefully map out a plan for your individualized radiation therapy program. They will engineer radiation dosages that are just strong enough to suppress or kill cancer cells, without being excessively strong in order to limit damage to surrounding healthy tissue. A course of radiation therapy usually involves daily sessions, Monday through Friday, for a period of several weeks. Your team of physicians, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists will determine the best approach and duration to effectively treat your cancer.

Side Effects and Complications
Radiation therapy administered to the head can result in some undesirable side effects, some of which may disappear soon, and some of which may linger indefinitely. Potential side effects include:

• changes in taste of food and beverages
• dryness in the mouth or throat due to reduced production of saliva
• infections in the mouth
• tenderness or pain
• difficulty eating or swallowing (which could result in dehydration or malnutrition)
• tooth decay and gum disease
• mucositis (inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth)
• dehydration (insufficient water, due to difficulty in drinking)

The radiation oncologist will discuss the potential side effects with the patient and will suggest a means to help avoid or diminish them.