I have a friend whose husband has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer (I think stage 4 t2n2b - but she's not sure). He is nearly at the of week 5 of 6 weeks of rt, with concurrent carboplatin.

When she first told me hubby's diagnosis I strongly advised her to come onto the forum, but she has so much on her plate at the moment. Her father passed away a week or so ago, and she has a houseful of people as well as a very sick husband.

He hasn't eaten since Monday, although she says she thinks he's drinking enough water. I have passed on Christine's emphatic and sage advice re: hydration and fattening up before treatment.

I'm very surprised he doesn't have a peg tube, in fact I don't think it has come up in any conversations with his doctors. Tonight she tells me the doctor has called and said his bilirubin levels are up. Could this be the effect of the carboplatin? And possibly not enough hydration? My own thoughts are she should ask for him to be admitted and have a peg placed and also put on a drip, but I don't know what to advise her.