#51061 01-14-2005 12:04 PM | 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 | Amber,
What great news to hear. Try hard to keep your dad on the chemo. It will help the radiation in the short run. Weight gain should not be the deciding factor as much as the lab results from continuous blood workups. As long as the white counts, red counts, electrolytes and BUN are reasonable, the chemo will make a difference.
Just my two cents worth. Hit it with all you got, you may not get a second run at it!
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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#51062 01-14-2005 05:14 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 | Amber, glad your dad's treatment seems to be doing such a good job. I agree with Ed, if he can, your dad should get back on the chemo as it can also help to shrink the tumor a lot as well as contribute to killing the cancer. If the chemo affects the blood counts, Procrit can be used to build the white cells back up. Keep up the good work and will continue to pray for you.
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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#51063 02-02-2005 09:03 AM | Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 11 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 11 | Hello all!! Just in for an update and a few questions...My dad is doing a little bit better, he is now driving, his tumor went from 8.5 cm to 4 cm. and he has only had 14 radiation treatments at this point..so thats a bit of good news..but i have some questions about brachytherapy..My dad has had a terrific response to the radiation already, but now his dr. is recommending brachytherapy and I was just curious why they want to do it since he is doing so well with the radiation...so if anyone has had brachytherapy and is willing to share their experience with me, I would love to listen!!!!
Thanks to all of you for helping me through this stressful time!!!!
Amber | | |
#51064 02-02-2005 09:41 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 | Some chemotherapy agents, such as Cisplatin (Platinol), actually work in conjunction with the radiation therapy so for maximum effectiveness they need to be administered every 3 weeks during radiation. Typically they will start Cisplatin on the same day as the first RT.
I honestly have never heard of receiving both RT and brachytherapy but I am not a doctor so what do I know?!?!
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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#51065 02-02-2005 11:37 AM | Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,384 Likes: 1 | Amber, I think some one else here did have brachytherapy (Sabrina maybe?) together with external radiation therapy.
I would not second guess the idea too much though, anything you can do to increase the odds!
From what I have heard Brachytherapy is no big deal. I'm going to guess that his doctor feels that he can give the tumor area an even more lethal dose of radiation by positioning the radioactive seeds right in the middle of things. (the tumor) I don't think it will cause your dad much more by way of pain or side effects.
Mark, 21 Year survivor, SCC right tonsil, 3 nodes positive, one with extra-capsular spread. I never asked what stage (would have scared me anyway) Right side tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection right side, maximum radiation to both sides, no chemo, no PEG, age 40 when diagnosed.
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#51066 02-02-2005 11:41 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 | Amber, glad to hear your dad is doing better. A 50% plus reduction is very good. Especially for just 3 weeks. By the time my chemo/rad was done, my tumor in the lymph node was destroyed and all of the cancer was gone. Hope your dad will have the same result. Don't know about the brachytherapy, but it sounds like the med team knows what they are doing for your dad. Maybe another member of the site will be able to answer your questions.
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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#51067 02-02-2005 12:01 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 | Amber,
I had brachytherapy for a period of about 30 hours right after I finished 34 external radiation treatments. The seeds were inserted into my tongue under anesthesia, so when I woke up I had the hardware in my mouth (it was relatively painless by then) and a guy with a Geiger counter was testing all the rooms near mine to be sure I wasn't contaminating them! The whole experience was actually less daunting than I expected it to be, and the process of removing the seeds was also pretty painless. It was fairly boring to be in almost total isolation for that period, because no one else was allowed to be in the room with me for more than a few minutes at a time -- for obvious reasons.
Cathy
Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989
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#51068 02-03-2005 11:37 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 | Amber,
I am glad to hear your dad is responding to the treatment! Mark is right, Sabrina did have brachytherapy. You can search for her name and email if you want.
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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#51069 02-06-2005 03:38 PM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 56 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 56 | Hi Amber: My husband Dan was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer in PA in Dec 2004. He was seen at UPMC and they recommended brachytherapy for Dan also. Since we live in NC though, Dan is being treated at UNC in Chapel Hill NC, at the Lineberger NC Cancer Center. If your Dad is being treated at UPMC I would be curious as to the name of his Radiology Oncologist.....The doctor Dan saw called us last week asking if we were going to travel to PA for the brachytherapy....Please let me know where you Dad is being treated and by whom as I would like us to compare notes! Thanks and glad to hear he has gotten such good results so soon!
Michelle
Michelle
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#51070 03-01-2005 03:05 AM | Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 11 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 11 | Hello everyone!! Its been a few wekks since I have been on and I wanted to give everyone the great news!! My dad is starting his last 5 radiation treatments later this week...We just had xrays and a ct scan and it all came back clear,, no signs of the cancer anywhere...Hes still having the sore throat and stuff but he is finally feeling like there is light at the end of the tunnel...Hes starting to hang out with all of his friends and hes getting out of his house more often, so mentally, he is starting to make some progress..He was pretty depressed and bummed out for the last month or so, but he is doing much better now and he is really looking forward to getting back to himself. We never even did any brachytherapy..by the time they did the ct scan, all signs of the cancer were already gone..I hope that everyone is doing well..and I just wanted to thank all of you for your support, if it wasn't for you all, I don't know that we would have made it through so easily..lol...
Thanks again!!!
Amber | | |
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