Ok, just when I didn't think things could get more challanging, they did. Husband came down with strep through, dx at 8:30 tonight. I call the onc, get a fellow who says she does not thing he'll get treatment. Email med onc, he says, yes bring him in for regular induction chemo tomorrow.

Has anyone here fallen ill (non-cancer related) during treatment? Did you have to skip a treatment? What does skipping a treatment do to survivability? Honestly guys, looking for cold hard facts here if anyone has experience in this area.

I wouldn't think that they would give him chemo if his white cell count is up or if he has an infection. The chemo may affect and lower his white cell count which means he is less able to fight off the infection. Likely then, they will just dely this round of chemo.
In the scheme of things this is not likely to affect his outcome/ survivability.
Many people miss a round or two of chemo because they are not in a condition to have it.
The med. oncologist told us that the studies show that this has no effect on outcomes.
Good luck,
Tammy

The did the blood work when we got here, which all looked great. WBC 6600. The drug on the menu today is Cetubamax (sp/?) shrink's blood supply to tumor, but does not tank WBC, so he is being given treatement this am, thank goodness.

Yeah...!! Glad he's okay!

Ana,
I looked into this when the radiotherapy machine went down a couple of time when my husband was being treated. While it's best to stick as close to protocol as possible, the study I looked at (as British one, I think) showed that you had to be quite a ways out of protocol to show a significant reduction in survival. In my husband's case, "out of protocol" was missing more than 6 IMRT sessions out of 40 (they would be made up at the end). Vince's hospital will have procedures for dealing with misses - you may want to ask about it.

Perfect attendance is, I think, more the exception than the rule. Besides unrelated illnesses, icestorms and hurricanes happen, patients may need a break due to the rigors of the therapy itself. You and Vince will do your best, I am sure, and not take unscheduled breaks to party!

Which drugs are they using in the induction phase?

They had to stop my radiation and one chemo session for nearly a week because my neck was so badly burned. I was able to continue, though, and they tacked on the missed days at the end. I am nearly three years out, and so far, so good, so the "break" didn't hurt me, other than having the treatments drag on longer than originally anticipated.

He's on two 3 week cycles that go like this

Week 1: Cetuximab, Cicplatin & Taxol
Week 2: Cetuximab
Week 3: Cetuximab
repeat...
Week 4: Cetuximab, Cicplatin & Taxol
Week 5: Cetuximab
Week 6: Cetuximab

Today was Week 2, thank goodness, a much smaller day than last week. He tolerated the treatment just fine today, here's hoping smaller tx day means smaller reactions this week. It so nice to see him with a healthy appetite again.

oops, meant to add...with a Neulasta shot thrown in after the big chemo days on Week 1 & 4, plus the normal anti nausea meds on those weeks too, optional on the other weeks.

Hi, Ana
Some of members have gone through similar induction cycles and have done very well. Having gone through an attack of the what if's (you sound like me!) please try to focus on what you can do to avoid them ... which is great nutrition and hydration for your husband, and managing some enjoyable time together for both of you. My husband and I actually enjoyed being stuck in traffic going to and from treatment - we would listen to the radio ... and just be. Your husband's treatment cycle is a long one, and it's important not to get physically or mentally exhausted early on. Working our dog every morning was probably a factor in getting through in good order for my husband!
Maria

Thanks Maria. This week is going much better. As it was a much smaller chemo treatment day, his appetite is back with a vengance. He's hungry and I'm feeding him every time he opens his mouth. He's up to around 3,500 calories and slowing putting back on some of the 11 lbs he lost...life is good. We've previously had some questions about how far we should go to keep him from picking up germs. The strep panic last week about did it for us both...we now carry hand sanitizer and lysol everywhere, have limited traffic in the house and avoid all crowds. Until this is over, It's just not worth the risk.

Re: enjoyable time, it's interesting you should mention that, because I've been thinking about the silver linings of this experience. Hubby is being treated in a part of Chicago we did not previously know very well, Hyde Park. University of Chicago is just beautiful! Got to see President Obama's house, found a great new deli. Chicago is such a great town, and we're getting to see a whole new side of it. That's our silver lining for the week...:)

My son attended U of Chicago, so we got to know Hyde Park as well. If you are interested in art or archeology, the Oriental Institute is pretty spectacular - and usually not crowded. You can probably find an off-time to see Robie house (FL Wright) - we never managed that. Thoughts and prayers with you both!