:rolleyes: Time for more surgery and chemo. I will be having the recurring tumor removed from my trachea on Sept. 3rd. I have opted to wait until Sept. because frankly I'm tired of always having surgery in the month of August and I thought a change would be nice. I'll be having my next CT and office visit on Aug. 2nd and a PET scan after that to see if it could have spread back to my liver. My last CT showed that there was an increase in the size and number of nodules in both lungs. I don't know what kind of chemo. I'll be using yet. Nothing new and promising to try according to my Onc. Any ideas? I have been having a great deal of bleeding from this tumor which is blocking more than half of my trachea. Any suggestions on how to curb it? It usually goes for about 30min. and then it kind of coagulates over and stops for awhile. Just a minor inconvenience is all. :p
Thanks for listening,
Much Love, Laughter, Light, and Healing to all of you,
Candle

Candle, will be praying for your surgeon that his hands be guided and for you that you have minimal discomfort and complete recovery.

Hi Candle,

I wish I had some answers for what you're dealing with right now regarding chemo (I had cisplatin)and the problems you're experiencing with bleeding but unfortunately all I can offer are my prayers that your scans will have good results and that your recovery will be a speedy one. Keep up your great attitude, it's very contagious.

Prayers coming your way - Nancy

Hey Candle,
Joining in the prayers for you and your family. You have been thru so much already. My husband had some of those same chemo drugs and it wasn't too bad on him.
God bless,
Debbie

Hi Candle,

I am sorry I don't have answers to your questions but I did want you to know I will be praying for you and your family.

Ed

candle,

i'm not sure if this is helpful, but just in case. my sister's oncologist told us about a study that has shown really good results from combination of radiation + herbitox. he said he couldn't use it for my sister because apparently herbitox has not yet been approved for head and neck cancers and so the cost would not be covered by private or government insurances.

sorry about what you've got to deal with again. you're in my thoughts. wishing you healing and peace.

gita

candle, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. God Bless, Carol

Gita, are you sure you didn't mean Herceptin?

-Brett

Candle
Just to let you you I'll be praying for you, that the docs can find the right treatment plan for you..and to give you the strengh you need..
Sunshine... love and hugs
Helen

Gita,

I think the drug you mean is Erbitux from Imclone of Martha Stewart fame. It has had some good success with head and neck cancers used in combo with radiation. They may have some trials going on for H & N cancers.

Take care,
Eileen

I forgot say this: Best of luck with your treatment, Candle. Erbitux and Herceptin, I believe, are both monoclonal antibodies and certainly bare further investigation.

-Brett

Just saw this in a Forbes news flash this morning.

'In other news, Germany's Merck says it will file with European regulators to market cancer drug Erbitux to treat head and neck cancer at the start of 2005. Merck, which licenses rights to sell the drug in certain markets from its creator ImClone Systems (nasdaq: IMCL - news - people ), says its sales of Erbitux could bring in $608 million in peak annual sales by 2008.'

Not that we care about the money part, but I think this means it may soon be available to us H & N patients in this country. That's the route it took to get approval for colorectal cancers.

Just thought it interesting.

Eileen

Thanks you guys. Erbitux is the same thing as Cetuximab. Unfortunately it didn't slow my ca. I participated in a study in 2002 at The Center for Advanced Medicine/Washington University Medical School in St. Louis and hung in for 3 months. I ended up with a very bad staphe infection on my skin and that's why they finally made me stop. I believe I held out longer than the others in the study. It was pretty gruesome. Exception of one guy and he was taking a combination of other drugs along with the Erbitux. He had some benefit and was being treated for colerectal ca.

Funny that you mentioned Erbitux now becoming available for H&N in the USA because on my last doctors visit when I asked which chemo. we would try next he said, "Well there is this new drug called Erbitux and.." I interrupted him with, "You've gotta be kidding. You already sent me to that study Dr. E, remember!!" He quickly said, "Oh, oh, yeah that's right. Well then uh, maybe we'll do Taxotere and Gem-something." I don't think he looks at my chart half the time. I'm hoping he is just brilliant but slightly absent minded???
Thanks for your replies!
Much Love to all of you,
Candle

Oh, also, thank you for all of your prayers! Much appreciated.
Candle