Hi, Jef,
Yes, my husband, Tom, had cisplatin and Erbitux concurrent with radiation. Erbitux is new to oral cancers, but well-documented for colorectal cancer. Not long ago I posted a some links to more info on Erbitux. If you use the search feature I'm sure you'll find them. We had to overcome some insurance hurdles to get the Erbitux covered.

Tom's tonsil cancer was caught early but the docs decided to be very agressive and hit it with all they have. Tom had two Cisplatin treatments and, as others have mentioned, most of the side effects are manageable. Zofran, compazine and decadron for nausea, and drink lots of water. Neurological and immune system effects are risks of any chemo treatment. You will be monitored and told what symptoms are the red flags for which you must notify your doctor immediately. Hearing loss is one of those. There is another thread going on hearing loss, which occurs in 6 of 10 patients. Before you start the Cisplatin, you may want to request a hearing evaluation so you can do a before and after.

I believe you should definitely ask "why not Cisplatin AND Erbitux?"

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Joyce

CG to Tom dx SCC 5/06; right neck lymph nodes removed, dx right tonsil and tonsillectomy 6/06; rad and chemo started 7/06; treatment COMPLETED 9/06 33x rad; Erbitux (8x); Cisplatin (2);