Welcome to OCF! Im very glad you have found our site. We will be able to help you with info and support.

I see you are not located in the US. Im sorry but Im not familiar with what treatment centers other countries have available. here, our top centers are comprehensive cancer centers. They offer a team based approach so all the specialists are always on the same page. If something like this is available where you are located, then a second opinion would be a good idea. Its unusual here for patients to have surgery and be given chemo as a follow up. You will need to ask your husbands physicians what the treatment plan is and what type of chemo he will be given. Also ask if he will be given smaller weekly doses (much easier to tolerate) or a larger dose every 3 weeks. Most patients here have had cisplatin or Erbitux along with radiation. I would also suggest asking why no radiation has been considered.

In the US, its not the normal treatment plan to have surgery, then follow it up with only chemo. If your husband has squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral tongue, in the US usually patients like this are treated with surgery and radiation with or without chemo. By itself, chemo has not been proven to kill this type of cancer. But chemo when used in conjunction with radiation helps to make the radiation more effective. In other countries, there could be different medications that have not yet been FDA approved for use in the US.

I was diagnosed with OC when my children were teenagers. It wasnt easy telling them but it was something necessary. I was their only parent and this was something I was not able to hide from them. I suggest a long honest discussion with the children where they can be reassured would be the best option. I know its not easy to have this type of discussion. I wish you all the very best with this.

About the only thing you can do to make chemo easier is to help by focusing on his intake. Every day he should take in at least 2500 calories and 48-64 oz of water. Water intake is especially important when having chemo. Its needed to flush the poisons out of his body. So pay close attention to his chemo schedule and push the water intake on the day of and after chemo is given. If your husband is nauseous, he should take anti nausea meds around the clock. Once he becomes nauseous its nearly impossible to keep anything down or to put back everything he throws up. Anti nausea meds are available here in suppository form just in case he cant keep anything down.

Best wishes with everything!