I am new to this and would like to say hello to everyone and hope everyone is doing well!!
My whirlwind of events just started over Thanksgiving..And now he has been diagnosed with stage 4 oropharynx cancer(and I have been told it was SCC)(on his rt tonsil) and has made its way down into his lymph nodes in his neck that has caused an 8 cm mass. Unfortunately, yesterday they told us that it is inoperable..So now I am trying to prepare myself for the radiation and other therapy treatments..My dad is 54 and is in great health otherwise, but he has been a smoker for about 30 years, which I am sure brought all this on..
I am soo happy that I found this wonderful sight, and I am hoping that someone who has gone through this can lend some advice and what not....Sorry for rambling on, but my mind is going a mile a minute!! lol
Thanks for listening and any feedback is greatly appreciated

Amber
Pittsburgh,Pa

Hi Amber,
don't give up hope yet! I was 55 when diagnosed with a stage III/IV right tonsil cancer. They considered it inoperable based on the complexity of the surgery and subsequent quality of life issues. I had radiation and chemo and 2 years later I am doing fine. Three weeks into radiation, the tumor had completely vanished. I didn't have any lymph node involvement and that will complicate things a little bit, but they can radiate them also. In my case they did as a precautionary measure, as well as radiate the left tonsil.

I haven't smoked for many years however - please encourage him to quit now. He really doesn't need any additional risk of recurrence after treatment.

By the way, 25% of oral cancer patients never drank or smoked, so one can never be completely sure what the cause was. Recent studies also implicate certain viruses such as HPV or Epstein-Barr. I am sure that there are many other environmental factors as well.

Hi Amber, your dad's case is quite similar to mine except that I have never smoked in my whole life. The greatest lymph node on my neck also measured over 7 cm and was considered inoperable. I just received concurrent radiation and chemotherapy. Tumors on both tonsil and lymph nodes shrank gradually during treatment and follow up scans in 2 months after completing treatment confirmed that no cancer cells were detected and I have been in remission for 3 years already. To be in stage 4 is indeed the worst scenario but definitely not terminal. So don't worry, your dad can be as lucky as any cancer survivors here.

Karen.

Thanks Gary and Karen!! I am so glad that there is hope for him...And if you don't mind me asking..did either of you have to have a feeding tube by chance? My dads tumors have already made him lose weight because it is so hard for him to swallow, and I just have a feeling that he might need one once his therapy starts...And if either of you wouldn't mind telling me the side effects that you had during treatments would be very helpful..( I know that you probably don't want to relive that time of your life) But I really just want to know what to expect since I am going to be the only one taking care of him...Thanks again to both of you!!!!
Amber

Sorry guys, but I am grinning big time right now. Anyone care to answer??

Hi Amber,
No, I'm really not crazy, just like to laugh when I can. The question on feeding tubes is an oft debated one on this board. But the beauty of debate is that we get to learn from both sides and get to make an informed decision. If you do a search on feeding tubes within this site you will find tons of information. I myself would not even attempt the treatment without the tube. BUT, many have done just fine without it. Good luck to you and to your father.
Minnie

Hi Amber,

Sorry you had to seek us out and sorry to see you and your family going through this. But...glad to have you in the neighborhood. Spend the time to learn as much as you can now so you can help your father get through all he has to right now. He is so fortunate to have you already asking questions and trying to learn the road ahead of him.

Ed

Hi Amber, at the top of the forum page there is a painfully small search button. If you type a word or several words, you will come up with all kinds of information and discussions we have had here. Feel free to ask questions as you learn about this stuff.

Take care.

Hi Amber, at the top of the forum page there is a painfully small search button. If you type a word or several words, you will come up with all kinds of information and discussions we have had here. Feel free to ask questions as you learn about this stuff.

Take care.

Hi Amber,

Welcome to OCF, sorry you had to find us but you couldn't have found a better place to come to for information, advice and SUPPORT. You should have an orientation with your oncologist and they should give you alot of the information that you need, but I think the best is from the people here. Read all you can and don't hesitate to vent your feelings and ask your questions. Your Dad is a lucky man to have You to Love him and to Care for him. My prayers and positive thoughts are already on their way to you both.

Peace
Jack
..........
Dx 1/15/97 SCC rt. tonsil met to rt lymph node Stg IV,
Srgry 1/23/97 tonsillectomy & mod radical neck dissection,
Radiation 35 trtmnts both sides

Hi Amber, in response to your questions, I didn't have any feeding tube during or after treatment, although eating and drinking was a difficult task. I lost about 15 lbs without the tube and gained back the lost weight in 6 months' time. I know most patients and caregivers on this forum advocate the use of the feeding tube and there has been a lot of discussion on this issue. In Hong Kong, only about 25% of the patients need the feeding tube during treatment.It is a personal choice and you can gather more opinions before making a decision.As for major side effects, mouth/throat sore and skin burn around the neck were significant in my case. At the present moment, mouth dryness is the most frustrating effect for me. It doesn't improve and when weather is dry, I suffer more and my voice becomes more raspy. If possible, try to opt for IMRT for radiation treatment which is known to have less side effect on the patient.
Take good care of your dad and yourself. You have a tough battle to fight.

Karen

Wow..Thank you all for all your help!!Your honesty with everything is very appreciated! You are all strong, brave people, and should be commended! I need to tell my mother in law about this site. She was just diagnosed in October with stage 2 breast cancer. ( Yes, I have been thrown both of these curve balls within a couple short months from each other..EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD!!! LOL)...But anyways, I have been telling my dad about all of you and your words of wisdom, and I think that it makes him much more confident within himself..He's VERY stubborn and is still in denial(& scared) I think..He won't tell friends/family/coworkers that he has cancer..Instead he just tells them that he just keeps getting tests and sees different doctors. I know that he is scared, but I wish that he would just be honest with people..He has a large group of friends that would be sooo supportive, but I don't think that he wants to tell them because he thinks of it as a burden..If anyone has any advice on how to handle it from my perspective..please feel free..lol
Thanks again and again and again..lol
Amber

Amber,

He will feel much better with help from his friends, he needs to tell them. I have always been, and continue to be, a do it for my self kind of guy. Im not one of those warm and fuzzy kind of guys but it really helps to have someone to talk to that is close, but not too close. Please remember, as Gary points out, inoperable is not always bad news with this type of cancer and even that can change after he completes his other treatments.

Glenn

Hello Amber,

Welcome to "The Oral Cancer Foundation". My name is Dan Bogan, aka. (danny boy) and I also had a stage four tumor on my right tonsil. Mine was operable. They split my jaw midline down my throat curving around to my right ear. That was followed up about eight weeks later with 33 IMRT radiation trearments. My treatment ended in early November 03. My tumor was roughly 6cm and poory differentated. After surgery they told me the radiation would kill any remaining cancer.

Do you know what type of radiation he will be receiving? There are usually two types given.
One is called field radiation and the other is called IMRT. Field radiation covers a larger area
and can have more side effects than IMRT. IMRT is kind of like a sniper rifle, more exact in where they direct the beam. The radiation itself is not painful with IMRT. I'm told with field radiation you tend to get mouth sores, lose some salivary glands, get a burned neck etc.

I had a reoccurance in my lungs and in the original surgical bed (throat) in June of 04. I have been receiving chemo three times a month since June/04. My last chest x-ray ten days ago came back clear. The last mri from June/04 showed a slight increase of activity in my throat. I feel fine and feel the advice you have been given is sound. After all "Who better to ask than one who has traveled this journey ahead of you"???

I wanted you to know you are not alone in dealing with this bastard of a diaease. Post any question you can think of and someone will answer. Your now part of a huge international cyber family.
Write down all the questions you have before you see his doctors. You will never remember them all during the appointment.

Go on the search part of this website and read some of the older postings. Knowledge about the treatment and options will empower you. It sounds like you might be his primary caregiver. It is one tough job. We tend to vent at those close to us. Ignore it We still Love You!!!!

Hoping for the best of treatment for your Father.
Please keep us posted as he starts his journey.
Enjoy the Holiday's as best you can!! Your Father will want you to!!

Danny Boy

Hi Amber,

You need to get your Dad to log onto this site. I'm certain it would help assuage some of his fears. Scared is the emotion we all felt at dx. For me, not of dying, but of the unknown. It is difficult to discess with friends and family when you have no idea what is going to happen. Having this cyber family from around the world who have already been down this path and are willing to support him and answer any question we can should take some of the fear out of him. At the time I was dx, there were no support groups and no web sites and I can tell you, going down this path without them is really scary.

The other thing I would like to mention is I do hope he is getting his treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. He should have a whole team of drs, dietician etc. that are explaining these things to him. Make certain someone goes with him to all his appts and writes down hte answers to all the questions. It is just too much info to process and remember all at once.

Take care,
Eileen

Hi Amber,

I am a new member to this site too and I think you will find it extremely helpful. My husband just finished 7 weeks of radiation treatments on his throat 3 weeks ago. He did not have a feeding tube and he lost about 35 lbs. which he did not need to lose. The radiation was brutal on him. The doctor's told us it would be, but I didn't believe them. My husband is in good shape, strong, really healthy, I thought he would show "the radiation" a thing or two. Boy was I wrong...What I noticed most was he got fatigued easily and his throat was so painful. He was pretty much on a liquid diet but even that was difficult sometimes. Certain protein drinks would burn his throat, so we did and are still doing a lot of trial and error where food is concerned. If your Dad doesn't get a feeding tube, make sure he keeps eating. Lot's of small meals throughout the day. And keep on top of the pain meds, we learned to make sure the pain meds never wore off, even if it meant setting the alarm at night. Good luck and just remember you are not alone in this fight! You are in my prayers.

Take care,

Shelley

Thanks again to everyone..You have all helped me tremendously!! I have about 3 pages of questions to ask to all his doctors..lol..Right now, I am just trying to keep him positive..He has cabin fever pretty bad because he has dizzy spells and we told him not to drive, so I go see him everyday even if its just to take my son up to his house so he can play with him for a bit and I have been keeping him stocked up on soups, I even made some French onion soup for him this morning(his favorite)..He is normally at work and now for the past almost 2 months, he hasn't been able to work because he can't stand on his feet too long, not to mention the pain..
His newest dilemma is dental..He has to go to the dentist and have an exam, which I know that he needs some work done, but he doesn't have dental ins., and we all know that its not cheap..So he wants to find out if his health insurance will cover it somehow, considering that he has to have it done before he can start his treatments..He goes back to the doctor next week(ENT) and we are setting up the appt. to speak to the radiation dr. I guess we just have to be patient until the ball starts rolling...Once again..Thanks to all!!! Best wishes and you all are in my prayers!!
Amber

Hi Amber,

You still haven't indicated whether your Dad is getting treated at a major cancer center. When you see this dentist, you may be surprised to find that he recommends pulling some or even all of the teeth. Sometimes they pull anything that is in the field of radiation. This is not always necessary and depending on what you feel the condition of your father's teeth is, I would seek a second opinion from another maxillofacial prosthodontist that treats cancer patients.

As to payment, I needed a letter of medical necessity to have the teeth pulled in the hospital and to have it covered. However, medical would not cover the partials I needed which cost over $15000. Unless there is some major problems with decay that can't be repaired or the roots, I would try to keep the teeth. It is hard enough to eat after radiation without not having any teeth to chew it with.

Take care,
Eileen

Hi Amber,
Call your fathers medical insurance company and explain the situation to them about his dental. I had close to $7000 worth of work done before my radiation began and it was all paid for through my medical insurance and I DO have dental. Medical picked it up because the work being done was necessary to save some of my teeth. My dentist did what they called a "peer review" with one of the insurance companies MD's and it was approved. It's worth a try!
Good luck
Minnie

Amber, welcome to the site. Sorry you had to find us, we will help you and your dad as much as possible. I had tonsil cancer as well which moved to my lymph nodes as well. That's how I first found the cancer, while shaving. My lymph node was only 3.1 cm, though, so your dad is a little ahead of me. My treatment plan was to have radiation with chemo first, then surgery after that in the hopes that rad/chemo would shrink the tumor enough to make the surgery much easier due to the reduced size of the tumor. This was after a tonsilectomy in which the primary cancer site was found by the pathologist who examined the tonsils after removal. This treatment plan worked well for me as after the radical neck dissection, I was found to be free of cancer, even the tumor in my lymph node. Cancer free is a good feeling, and your dad could get the same result.

During the treatments, I had the feeding tube, also known as a peg, inserted. I don't think rad should be administered without the peg. I lost 50 pounds, 25% of my body weight, even with a tube. It got so I couldn't swallow my own saliva due to the rad treatment, so a peg was absolutely essential for me.

I also was not interested in learning anything about the treatment for this disease. I felt I could get through anything I had to, but the anticipation of knowing what to expect would cause me to deal worse with what was coming as I would anticipate the worst. So I didn't even let my saintly wife tell me anything about the treatment and didn't start looking at this site until after the treatments ended. That was before surgery, but I had had other surgeries and knew what was coming, so I didn't worry about knowing what was coming.

As far as insurance and dental goes, my medical insurance paid for all of my dental that was needed for the treatments, including periodontal cleaning, two extractions, iodine trays for after treatment issues, and they have authorized over $11,000 for dental bridges which I will start on after Christmas. So talk with your insurance and they may help you out.

Will pray for your dad, you, your mom and the rest of your family. Tell dad that he can get through this. Its a major pain in the back, or lower, but just keep a good attitude and he can beat it.

Thanks again to all of you!! Actually I got some good news today about his dental care..a friend of the family has a son in law that is a dentist and he told us that he would do all of his dental work for FREE!!!! That kind of gift doesn't come along too often, its been an absolute blessing!! We go to the cancer center on Monday to meet with his team and go over his therapy plan and to do a "Simulation"? I'm not sure what that means but I know that they told me to plan on being there for atleast 2-3 hours..So the ball is finally starting to roll, but I will keep you all posted on our progress!!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!!
Amber

Amber, glad you got good news on the dental front. Free service is wonderful. Just for your information, simulation is when the doctors will fit your dad with the mask they use to direct the radiation treatments. It is critical that the head and neck are kept completely motionless and the same reference point is used each time the rad is given. Therefore, a mask is made that goes on his face for each treatment to hold him in place. My rad treatments started within a few days of the simulation, so it is good news to get the process started. You can't be done until you start. God bless.

Amber,

I agree that the free dental service can be very helpful, especially since there's potentially a lot involved. Just be careful, though -- not all dentists are fully up to speed on radiation-related issues that affect dental treatment, even for years after the radiation is over.

My dentist and oral surgeon are very sensitive about that concern, and if they have any question about what is to be done and who should do it, they discuss it and in some cases refer the work to a specialist (and I'm more than 15 years out from radiation).

Cathy

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!
I had a question for any and all of you..We went and met my dads radiation team, and we are meeting with the chemo doctor on Monday, but his radiation doctor said that he was going to tell his chemo doctor to use a "single agent" chemo..and I'm not familiar with that or what it really means, I have tried searching the net about it, but I haven't found anything to tell me the difference between that and other forms of chemo..So if anyone is familiar with this, please let me know...(thanks in advance)..As for my dad, he is hanging in there..he had to have 13 teeth pulled, but it was the only option for him right now..He is losing weight, so I bought him some Ensure, hoping that he will like it and it will help..The hardest thing for him is not really being able to eat, he has an extremely hard time swallowing already so I'm not sure how he will do once his treatments start(he starts on Tuesday)..I have talked to a few people that I know, and they suggested an Aloe drink that I can get locally at a wellness store, so if anyone else has any good remedies for these types of problems..please feel free to let me know what worked and what didn't for you..
Thanks Again,
Amber

Amber, this is just a guess, but as far as the "single agent" I know I began chemo with just one drug. That I was later switched to a combination involved something unrelated to your dad's treament. With regard to nutrition and his trouble eating, I would strongly suggest he and his doctors take a hard look at a PEG. If he has swallowing difficulty now, I cannot imagine how he will manage to take necessary meds and adequate water and nutrition down the road. I was absolutely unable to swallow the meds I needed at the end of treatment for pain, and without the PEG I would have been up the creek. A number of people have gone through rad/chemo without a feeding tube, but some of us simply would not have been able to do it without. If either of you has questions about a PEG, you may contact me directly and I will be happy to answer them. My experience with it was completely positive.

Amber,

I can't comment on the chemo part of your question since I had surgery and radiation without chemo.

Regarding your question on nutrition, you're right to be concerned about keeping up your father's food intake. Different people have different responses to Ensure (I wasn't a big fan of it), but there are other alternatives as well. One high-calorie option that has been posted elsewhere on this site is the following (it has about 1300 calories):

2 cups ice cream
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 package instant breakfast
1 cup whole milk
3 TBS Ovaltine
1 TBS Malted Milk

I tried variations on this, with fruit mixed in -- also used things like oatmeal/cream of wheat, a whole assortment of baby food, applesauce, pudding, scrambled eggs -- anything that I could ingest with little or no chewing. Every meal had to go through the blender.

Have his doctors told him whether they plan to use a PEG tube for feeding? Some of us didn't have one, but others here have said they couldn't have gotten by without one, so it may be something he needs to consider.

Cathy

Amber,

It is common to use a combination of chemo agents. One actually destroys cells and the other affects the cells in a way that the radiation can better destroy the cells. This is a very non-scientific or medically technical description intended to help you understand the purpose. You should ask your doctor what alternatives there are and why he has chosen this route so you know the answer. He will assume you don't have a question if you don't ask. As you say, your dad is in great health right now and if it was me, I would hit it with all I could (as I did). When battling this horrible disease, we may only have one chance at life!

Ed

Hello everyone..I just thought that I would give everyone an update..My dad started radiation this week..but there has been some bumps in the road along the way..he was dehydrated, so i took him to the hosp. the other day to get his fluids back up, and he has been having serious dizzy/passing out spells..Everyone in the family thinks that he needs 24 hour care until his tumor shrink and they aren't pushing on his aorta and such, but he won't go for it, so his doctor made him promise that if he has another spell, he will go to an assisted living facility until hes better..but the radiation hasn't really affected him much, the first day, his neck started to burn that night, but hasn't had that problem since..We are holding off on the chemo right now until he is stronger..He is only to have chemo once a week, but hes just too weak to handle it right now..And I was wondering if anyone has ever had some sort of shot prior to their chemo/radiation treatment.I think that its called a Thile? They said that its to help his saliva glands, but it can cause nausea, so he was given self dissolving tablets to help with that, but since he has been so weak, they are holding off on that shot also..but for now, the radiation isn't making him any more weak that we can tell..He has been eating some soup and drinking Ensure, and now they are going to order some Prosure for him also, just to try to keep his weight up (hes lost about 20 lbs)I hope everyone is doing well!!
Thanks,
Amber

p.s. he quit smoking this week also..(after almost 40 years) So I am very proud of him!!

Amber

Amber,

I had a shot of Amifostine injected daily during all my rad treatments to try to preserve as much saliva function as possible. I was one of the lucky ones in that I didn't have any significant side affects to this drug which others experienced and many had to stop taking it.

Good luck and I hope your dad's strength improves each day.

Hugs, Nancy

Hello everyone..Its been a while since I was able to get back on here for a minute, but I just wanted to give an update..my dad isn't feeling that great, but his doctor told us today that the mass on his neck has shrunk 2.5 centimeters already..and he has only had 7 radiation treatments, so his doctor is very suprised and happy about it..we have officially put chemo on hold for a while until he starts gaining weight and getting stronger..but radiation seems to be doing well for him at this point..so wish us luck!!!
Thanks,
Amber

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

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.

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

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?!?!

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Hello Amber,
That is positively greatn news.
Eileen

Hi, Amber:

This is my first post. My husband has just been through tonsil cancer treatment with 2 surgeries, chemotherapy (Cisplatin) and 30 IMRT radiation treatments. We didn't want to get a PEG tube but he was losing so much weight we had to do it about 3 weeks into the treatment. The tube was a godsend in keeping him from wasting away, also necessary to take pain meds. He had it for about 3 months. If your Dad is already in pain and having trouble swallowing, you should ask about having a tube installed. Good luck on the dental work. It's important to have it taken care of before radiation treatment starts.

I wish you and your Dad all the luck and good vibes in the world. My husband Chris is 49 and it's taking him some real time to recover from the treatments. You and your Dad will need all the support you can get from friends and family. One thing that has bugged Chris is that he feels like some family members only focus on the f the cancer and don't talk to him like a person anymore. It takes a balance. Friends are wonderful and they want to help but may not know what to do. Take advantage of offers to drive, cook, etc. You will get tired if you are the main caregiver and you have children to care for as well. Find a support network for yourself so you can stay functional for your Dad and the rest of your family.

Best wishes
Amy


Chris smoked for about 30 years but finally quit about 10 years ago. Please encourage your Dad to quit if he's still smoking.

Hi Amber,
My 39yr old husband was Diagnosed in Sept 04, with stage 4 Nasopharyngeal cancer. He still has 3 more cycles of chemo to go and i couldn't imagine how much more weight he would have lost if not for the peg tube. (20kilos already).

Hi Amber,
This is my first visit to this site and when I read your post, your story is almost exactly like mine! My dad was recently diagnosed but the difference is that he is on the west coast and I am on the east coast. He hasn't really done a great job in telling me a lot of the details so I am sort of lost.
Thanks
Terri

Hello, My Dad has had Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)for 12 years (he's 75) with surgery, radiation and chemo with long periods of remission in between. Last week he was referred by dentist to oral surgeon who took biopsy of one of two spots on his tongueand all he knows so far is "it's malignant." He finished his most recent round of chemo for the NHL on January 28. He & Mom are in Chicago area, I'm in Kansas. He goes for another? biopsy with ENT doc on Wednesday. I am totally confused and they are so overwhelmed they don't make much sense on the phone. Wouldn't the chemo have treated the tongue cancer as well as the other lymph nodes (in his stomach) that were found in the course of NHL treatment? What docs/treatment centers are best in the Midwest? I am planning to go out there next week, but need some advance info. This is a great website, by the way, and I so appreciate having it.

Bellarte, You don't need to post the same thing in several areas. Don't worry if you post somewhere that isn't "right" we will answer questions everywhere. If you post in multiple places your answers will get mixed up.

Thanks

Thanks, Mark...I'll get the hang of it.