Hi all,

I am a 39 year old relatively healthy male and was just diagnosed with SCC. I had a cluster of nodes removed last week and they were sent to pathology. Came back HPV positive and cancerous - SCC.

I have a 2 year old boy and my wife is due with our second boy in 2 weeks. There is no other option than cure.

My ENT is scheduling me at the local cancer center to be see by an oncologist and radiation therapist. I assume this will happen after aPET scan. We have good insurance, and my outlook is usually to be aggressive. Mistakes are costly, so I am looking for any advice. I want to see my boys grow up.

I'm new at this so forgive me for any faux pas!

Ray,

If it turns out to BOT (my guess). The standard treatment is 7 weeks of rad plus chemo. I am three weeks in. I worked from home a little the first 2 weeks. Now, forget it. I don't recommend driving either and I am only 12 miles from the treatment center. I get my second dose of chem tomorrow and expect to be ill for the next week.

Also the three weeks after treatment may be the worst. My point is you are going to find it difficult to work for a couple of months. It could be shorter or it could be much longer.

The treatment is hard stuff. My advice is plan on being out of service for a while. If you get by easier, great. But I can tell you it is not a lot of fun. You will need help. Get all that you can.

I 100% agree with David. The treatment center absolutely does make a difference. If someone is going to radiate your head, you want the mostly highly skilled crew possible. Originally, my husband was offered treatment at our local, quite good, suburban hospital. Considering where they were radiating, we immediately arranged consults at MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic & University of Chicago, keeping Sloane Kettering in reserves, if we needed another choice. We got our kids covered by a family member, then did not allow geography to play any role in the decision of a treatment facility...the only factor being, where would my husband have the best chance of survival.

I stood at an observation booth, behind the women administering my husband's radiation this past summer for every one of his 50 rads. My main (self-assumed) role, was to watch his feet like a hawk, in case he got in trouble (i.e. started choking). While I stood there, I could also see the screen that showed the ever changing shape of the radiation beam that was treating (burning...whatever we want to call it) my husband, as the maching moved around his head. All I could think was, thank God his rad onc was so freakishly smart, thank God the room full of planners we walked every day were so good at their jobs as well.

When you consider the increased risk on reoccurances, you want do not want to leave anything on the table on the first shot at getting this cancer. Why not stack the deck, as much as possible, in your favor?!