Hi all,

So very glad I found this forum. Two weeks ago my 75 yo mom was diagnosed via biopsy and MRI with Stage IV BOT SCC with dual sided lymph involvement, larynx, top of hyoid bone, and TMJ on the left side. Primary tumor is about 4cm x 4 cm but has grown to fuse her tongue to her larynx (covering the epiglottis entirely).

The med oncologist and rad oncologist want to proceed with treatment but she's reluctant. She's only 90 lbs, has one kidney, and is becoming alarmingly disabled each day. I'm her only living relative. She went from living independently and working in her garden, driving, doing her shopping, to being practically bedridden in 3 weeks.

She had a trach installed in the hospital at the time of her biopsy to protect her airway, g-tube, and chemo port and now her WBC is elevated at 15,000 and nobody can find an infection.

After all I've read about the possibly devastating effects of radiation and chemo I'm not sure she could survive that course of therapy. She's not a candidate for Cisplatin due to having one kidney, so they'll try Carbotaxol? Anybody heard of that?

The docs want her to gain 10lbs before they begin, but she gets nauseated after just one can of boost in her tube, and this is BEFORE treatment, even with Compazine and meglace and other powerful anti-nausea drugs.

I've spoken frankly with her docs about treatment and they told me she'd have 6 - 9 mos if she did nothing, and they, too, were concerned she would not be able to tolerate chemo or radiation given her poor nutritional state and age, but it was all they had to offer.

I'm terrified and really flying blind here. I would appreciate any insight anybody can give me. I know everybody responds to treatment differently, but I can't imagine her surviving the treatment if it means losing even 10 lbs.

Thanks in advance and my sincere best wishes to all here.