I don't know if there is a clinically accepted test, that I heard of, for chemo sensitivity, reactivity, or assay test for that matter, for each individual patient with SCC in head and neck, yet. Maybe some new targeted therapies, in clinical trials, like yours, test pathways, immune response, oncogenes, and a lot of new ideas are still in laboratories, testing. Even when I had Erbitux, there was no assay test for KRAS mutation like they do for colorectal cancer since it didn't apply for H&N cancer. Let us know if you find out anything.

One of my oncologists periodically tests my CEA, kind of unusual, in my blood work since it can show an increase for a recurrence after treatment, surgery, in the head and neck, but should not be solely relied upon.

As far as anemia, I have it chronically. It could be from bone marrow suppression, not making enough rbc, treatments killing off the RBC faster rate than they can be replaced, which cell life is from 90-120 days, not enough rbc to pick up hemaglobin in the lungs, etc. Transfusions do help QOL, can be life saving, but have risks too, which were outweighed by not doing it. They do mine if below 8, 7, but depends how well I'm functioning, and could be 9. I go by the hemaglobin.

Good luck with everything, and thanks for updating.