Daughter of New Throat Cancer Patient - 01-15-2006 01:22 PM
My step father (who in my heart IS my REAL dad) had mouth cancer 10 years ago. This fall he had significant changes in his vocalization and was going back and forth to his doctor (who KNEW his history) and they dinked around until early January when they finally scoped him. Said there was one of 7 spots they were concerned about but they biopsied all 7 and guess what all 7 are cancerous. I am so angry with the medical profession right now, but that battle will have to wait for now.
We don't know grade yet as the PET isn't in yet, but he goes tomorrow to begin radiation. That's another thing, with his mouth cancer, they said at one point by my mom's memory that he had received the maximum radiation for his lifetime exposure?
From reading various throat cancer stuff online, I'm suspecting that this is going to be a long and very unpleasant ordeal with eating tubes possibly breathing tubes etc? How does the past amount of radiation effect this? Will it automatically be worse? I know there are no hard fast answers, but I would like to go into this with some knowledge about what lies ahead. My folks live a bit over an hour from me and luckily I was scheduled off this coming week so I'm going down tomorrow to go with them. My step dad is 72 but extremely healthy - they run and bike across the state (NC) and are always on the go - they're healthier then I am for sure and I hope this will help him. His mouth cancer treatment wasn't horrible - wasn't easy, but I never felt like he was over whelmed by it.
Advice? I don't think my folks have delved into what may lie ahead a great deal yet, but my Mom wants to "talk in private" knowing that I have at least begun researching.
Kaye
We don't know grade yet as the PET isn't in yet, but he goes tomorrow to begin radiation. That's another thing, with his mouth cancer, they said at one point by my mom's memory that he had received the maximum radiation for his lifetime exposure?
From reading various throat cancer stuff online, I'm suspecting that this is going to be a long and very unpleasant ordeal with eating tubes possibly breathing tubes etc? How does the past amount of radiation effect this? Will it automatically be worse? I know there are no hard fast answers, but I would like to go into this with some knowledge about what lies ahead. My folks live a bit over an hour from me and luckily I was scheduled off this coming week so I'm going down tomorrow to go with them. My step dad is 72 but extremely healthy - they run and bike across the state (NC) and are always on the go - they're healthier then I am for sure and I hope this will help him. His mouth cancer treatment wasn't horrible - wasn't easy, but I never felt like he was over whelmed by it.
Advice? I don't think my folks have delved into what may lie ahead a great deal yet, but my Mom wants to "talk in private" knowing that I have at least begun researching.
Kaye