I finally have my dates at UCSF! Mask & simulation Jan 14th, CT on Jan 15th, Dry run with LINAC Jan 27th and then full on with the photons (via IMRT) daily for 8 weeks (I think) & cisplatin every three weeks.

I have stage III, SCC, in the right tonsil with no sign of metastesis or lymph node involvement (P.E.T., MRI, Chest). My Oncologist recommended no PEG tube and keeping all my teeth (which are in excellent condition and very carefully examined and x-ray'd). Surgery was an option but the Head & Neck surgeon recommended against it, felt the outcome would be just as sucessful with Rad/Chemo with a much improved quality of life.

I will be sending regular reports on how things progress.

God bless all of you and I will be lifting you up in prayer daily.

Gary,

Good luck to you as you start your treatment. As you know this is the place if any questions come up during your treatment about some of the side effects.
I find it amazing of all the people I've told I had Tonsil cancer, and I hear - "gee I never heard of that." There are so many of us on this board.

Do keep us posted about your progress.

Take care,
Dinah

Good luck Gary. We are all wishing you the best. It will be interesting to see how you progress since the effects from the IMRT are to be less debilitating then other RAD. That is encouraging. Hope you have smooth sailing.

Dinah, I agree about people being surprised about oral cancer (Heather's is base of tongue cancer). For people that have heard about it, the first question is "does she smoke?" What an education the world needs about this killer! :rolleyes:

Rosemary

I couldn't agree more with Dinah!I have never heard of tonsil cancer until I myself was diagnosed with it. I have consulted two GP and two ENT doctors and all of them told me that my enlarged tonsil was only infectious . So I was treated with a lot of antibiotics until the lymph nodes on my neck got swollen to the size of an egg. Then I was referred to have a biopsy and ultrasound scan-- stage IVB!People I know simply feel sorry for me that a non smoker with a healthy life habit can ever develop such kind of cancer.Is it really an act of chance or what?Anyway, getting to know 'so many' patients with tonsil cancer at this website does give me enormous courage that I only not fighting the battle alone!

Gary,
I am very glad to hear you got some good new in all of this (keeping ALL your teeth, starting without PEG), and making progress on your treatment when a week feels like a month.
Would you mind elaborating on why surgery (alone or combined?) was considered secondary to readiation/ chemo with regard to quality of life? Good Luck!

Things are finalized now. The LINAC test run will happen on Jan 24th and on Jan 27th I will receive 6 hrs of cisplatin then IMRT radiation therapy. Cisplatin every 21 days and 40 IMRT radiation treatments. The surgery (which would have required radiation also anyway) had a higher morbidity factor, possibility for very serious complications, quality of life issues and about the same odds for survival with just rad/chemo. I have done extensive research on all of the possibilities and it all boils down to what is best for the individual and we are ALL different. Some people are getting radiation (IMRT) only and no chemo - there is a current nationwide clinical trial taking place.

Gary, thank you for answering my question.
It makes a lot of sense not to have the added risk and discomford associated with surgery if it does not result in a significant improvement, but may lead to serious complications, not to mention a decrease in quality of life. No need for that!

They've tweaked things a little. Full radiation will begin on the 28th in the morning with chemo afterwards. The don't want me nauseated while in the mask. The 24th and 27th will be what they call "dry run" and "start up". They've also informed me the cisplatin will be for 6 hours.

Well it's finally begun. Had the 1st IMRT treatment at 7:00 am at UCSF and Cisplatin chemotherapy that afternoon. So far so good, no nausea or any other reactions. Other the the mask being a little tight, I slept through most of it. They are giving me 6 weeks of 6MeV with cisplatin (5 days a week)every three weeks.

Let me tell you this thing has kicked my butt this week. I ended up in the ER all day on Thursday and a bad reaction to the chemo.
It took all of my strength just to send this. My prayers go out to all of you fellow sufferers.