Sorry for the second post.

I've found some pretty compelling research, not least, in The Lancet, demonstrating VERY much improved survival when Cetuximab is added to radiotherapy.

I had radical surgery plus radio, but no chemo.

Cetuximab - that's "chemo" yes??

Why wasn't I offered it? Would it help? *I want to live*

Cetuximab is more commonly known around here as Erbitux. Yes, it is chemo. Its up to your treatment team what your individual case was offered. Thats why is always best to have a treatment facility which uses a team based approach.

Your treatments have finished. All any of us can do is find the very best medical professionals and treatment facility and go with it. Since its after the fact, there isnt any going back and redoing what treatments were given. Second guessing wont change anything. It will just add unneeded stress.

It's considered a targeted therapy, an EGFR monoclonal antibody, but is still "referred " to as chemo sometimes, I do, just to save explaining. It's been around for a while, since the early 90's for colon cancer, but didn't get approval by the FDA, and stocks were dumped by Imclone big wigs, and reason why Martha Stewart went to jail for insider trading, but it had geen since was taken over, and approved, and approved for metastic HNC, and later for first line therapy. I had it in 2012 along with Taxotere. Its doesnt work in about 5% of HNC patients, but there is no assay, unlike colon/rectal, there is, and doesn't work in 40% of colon cancers who have a muted KRAS protein. The main side effect is the facial rash, which is consiered the drug to the to be working, and rarely, is an allergic reaction, cardiac arrest, which can be deadly. There is an ongoing clinical trails with Erbitux vs Cisplatin that is not completed yet. You can use the search to see the previous discussions, abstracts, some which I posted. I've seen some that say its just ad good as cisplatiin, and some, maybe not.

Thanks Christine and Paul

Paul - I've been trying to read up on it too. The NICE Guidelines/Care Pathway (over here in England) do recommend it, but when platinum therapy isn't suitable. Seems like my team felt I didn't need chemotherapy. I am in clinic on Wednesday and I'm going to ask them about it, EGFR and KRAS. I don't know if they've tested for it, or if they will. I just keep seeing an increase in survival of around the 20% mark. From where I'm sitting, there's a MASSIVE difference between 56% and 81%.

There is no assay for it in HNC, but ask. I can't have many chemo's anymore, especially Cisplatin, and just finished Carboplatin, Protons in January, and that was easier than any other chemo, and Erbitux, at least for me. I've seen the numbers, but every trial, study may have different ones, some contradicting one another, and your doctors will know best. I noted on your signature you completed radiation in February or March? Is the Erbitux for maintenance without radiation? They were thinking about doing that for me, and that is different than first line treatment, but is also used as first line treatment, but cisplatin is preferred. They also use another targeted therapy, Tarceva, for maintenance, and chemoprevention, but found out it didn't work, and my oncologists said, no.

http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2012/11/30/JCO.2012.46.9049

Good luck.

Hopefully your drs made a well informed and educated decision to not include chemo - normally they go hand in hand (rads and chemo) and for someone who likely had non HPV chemo it does - apparently up the odds.

At this point it is a non issue as you're done. Hugs and feel better...

Had a long chat with my consultant. He said that the oncologist would definitely have given me either Cisplatin or Cetuximab, had the pathology warranted it. However, it was felt not to be needed. I do trust their decision, even though the worrying part of me wonder if I should have had it. I have to trust their superior knowledge. I've been under this team since the start, nearly 3 years ago, and I know they would never, ever cut corners.

Thanks for clarifying. I was thinking the Erbitux was for up-coming treatment. I had radiation alone my first round, but for different reasons, I didn't have chemo or a targeted therapy with it, was oropharyngeal cancer too, but both can be treated with surgery and or radiation alone depending on different factors. Sounds like you're in good hands.

Good luck

He told me Cetuximab is to sensitise you more to radiotherapy.