#16966 01-30-2005 10:32 PM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 17 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 17 | Hi,
I have right tonsil SCC (2.5cm) which spread to one lymph node in my neck (4.5cm). Have had tonsillectomy and modified neck dissection. About to start radiation treatment. They have offered cisplatin but have said this is optional and up to me. I'm not sure the benefits are worth the side-effects. This is complicated by the fact that I have Hep C. Any views?
Chris | | |
#16967 01-31-2005 12:03 AM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Hi Chris,
I had Cisplatin and radiation and I too have hep C. They monitored my liver function very carefully and it had no effect on it. Cisplatin is a highly toxic drug but it can extend the survival odds as much as 13-16%, IMHO, well worth the risk.
Gary Allsebrook
***********************************
Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
________________________________________________________
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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#16968 01-31-2005 02:27 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 | Hi Chris,
I had radiation followed 7 months later with chemo for a reoccurrance. Taxol & Carboplatin. Have no side effects from either. Wishing you good luck as you continue your treatment.
Danny Boy
Daniel Bogan DX 7/16/03 Right tonsil,SCC T4NOMO. right side neck disection, IMRT Radiation x 33.
Recurrance in June 05 in right tonsil area. Now receiving palliative chemo (Erbitux) starting 3/9/06
Our good friend and loved member of the forum has passed away RIP Dannyboy 7-16-2006
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#16969 01-31-2005 04:54 AM | Joined: May 2003 Posts: 928 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2003 Posts: 928 | Chris
Whatever they can throw at this cancer the better your chances. My opinion,Do It.
Take care
Marica
Caregiver to husband Pete, Dx 4/03 SCC Base of Tongue Stage IV. Chemo /Rad no surgery. Treatment finished 8/03. Doing great!
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#16970 01-31-2005 10:43 AM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 156 | hi chris go with your gut feeling. my opinion take whatever is offered you well get through it its called SURVIVAL, GOOD LUCK regards maz | | |
#16971 01-31-2005 10:46 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 | Chris-
I had cisplatin and radiation after surgery. Wasn't fun and I was very sick but would do it again in a heart beat if it gave me a better chance to kill this beast. It is survivable and it is better to go at it with everything you can the first time around. Best of wishes to you on your journey. - Kris
SCC Stage IV left tonsil neck disection 3/02 radiation finished 6/02 chemo finished 9/02
Stage 2A left breast cancer 3/09, chemo and radiation, finished treatment 2/7/10 -Stage 2 right beast cancer 10/14 chemo and radiation
Every day is still a gift :-)
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#16972 01-31-2005 03:19 PM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 458 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 458 | Hi Chris, I also had Cisplatin, basically the oncologist said my chance of survival was 40% without, 60% with, so I did the logical thing.
Only side effect during treatment was a little jumpy stomach the day after, but nothing that couldn't be taken care of with Tums or Tagamet. Other side effect was my sperm count dropped to zero, so having kids is out of the question for the moment.
Bob
SCC Tongue, stage IV diagnosed Sept, 2002, 1st radical neck dissection left side in Sept, followed by RAD/Chemo. Discovered spread to right side nodes March 2003, second radical neck dissection April, followed by more RAD/Chemo.
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#16973 01-31-2005 03:39 PM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 541 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 541 | Chris, even if it is just 1% increase in survival, it is worth taking. I also had cisplatin along with radiation to treat my tonsil cancer. My tumors in tonsil and neck lymph nodes were far larger than yours.The use of cisplatin was not an option but a must for me.In fact , in Hong Kong, the combination of both chemo and radiation has become the recommended treatment recently. For side effects, of course there are some but different people may react differently. I didn't need any surgery after the chemo-radiotherapy because they had killed all my cancer cells already.
Karen
Karen stage 4B (T3N3M0)tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/2001.Concurrent chemo-radiation treatment ( XRT x 48 /Cisplatin x 4) ended in 12/01. Have been in remission ever since.
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#16974 01-31-2005 04:12 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 | Chris, welcome to the site. Sorry you had to find us. I had 35 rad and 3 cisplatin chemo treatments after my tonsilectomy and before my neck dissection for swollen lymph nodes in right side. Had no side effects from chemo other than lowering of white blood cell count. No upset stomach, or any other problem. I did have problem with the anti-nausia meds they gave me before the chemo, but they switched me to another drug and no more problems. We are all different, but I had no problems with cisplatin. And I think it helped to stop any mets to other locations as the cisplatin will kill even microscopic cancer cells that are undetectable with current scanning technology. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Regards, Kirk Georgia
Stage IV, T1N2aM0, right tonsil primary, Tonsilectomy 11/03, 35 rad/3cisplatin chemo, right neck dissection 1/04 - 5/04.
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#16975 01-31-2005 05:12 PM | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 546 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 546 | Chris,
My daughter had surgery for base of tongue SCC and then, on the doctor's recommendation, had radiation without any chemo and she is no longer on this earth. We will never know if adding chemo to the treatment regimen would have saved Heather, but IMHO, it is best to fight this with everything you can and that means RAD and chemo.
You might also want to ask about a Taxol/Carboplatin combination like Danny Boy had. I believe that has worked well for many OCF members. Although maybe Taxol/Carboplatin is the choice for chemo alone when dealing with a recurrence (when you can't do more RAD) and Cisplatin the choice in combination with RAD. I don't know that for sure, though. It's just a thought. But it may be worth asking about.
Rosie
Was primary caregiver to my daughter Heather who had stage IV base of tongue SCC w/ primary recurrence. Original diagnosis August 21st, 2002. Primary recurrence March 18th, 2003. Died October 6th, 2003.
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#16976 02-01-2005 02:03 AM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 17 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 17 | that's fairly conlusive then! Thanks for all your help. | | |
#16977 02-01-2005 10:20 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Chris,
Welcome to the neighborhood! I, too, has Cisplatin and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, UNLESS, he is going through radiation for SCC! You need every possible thing in your favor to beat this horrible beast. I HAD hep C, too, and just finished the Interferon/Ribavirin treatment when the cancer was diangosed. I have been undetectable since May 2002 except on my last blood draw it appears to have resurfaced. The doctor has said either I am the first known case to reappear after being undetectable for almost 3 years or something interfered with the test. I guess I will know in the next couple of weeks. I really expected the stress of chemo and radiation to trigger a relapse but to my surprise it didn't (or hasn't until they can prove otherwise).
Best wishes for you and your upcoming treatment plan. It may not be easy but it has been done by many before you.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#16978 02-02-2005 07:52 PM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 191 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 191 | I'm currently on the Cisplatin treatment. For me, I've only had two out of the seven treatments, which is a once a week thing for me. It's not a curative thing, but sort of a cancer wash that helps the radiation therapy attack the cancer cells. Or at least that's the way it's been explained to me. So I'm getting like a 20% dose of the stuff once a week.
As for how I'm taking it.... I'm usually in the chemo infusion ward for four to five hours prior to radiation. Sometimes I mess around on the computer, my laptop. Both times so far, I just curl up in the chair and take a nap.
Only bad side effect has been days after chemo... three days, when I had a nausea episode on the weekend. From now on I just make sure to take my compazine tablets so I don't tempt the fates.
Good luck to you.
Jen | | |
#16979 02-03-2005 01:41 PM | Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 206 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 206 | Hi Chris, I too had Cisplatin when I had my
cancer. Please go for it and do everything the
Docs say. I'm glad I did even if I don't have
teeth on the bottom anymore. At least I'm still
here since 1990. Good Luck.
Cathy
SCCA Stage IV diagnosed 01/90
base of tongue with 1/2 removed.
With neck resection, radiation and chemo
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