Has anyone experienced a skin metastasis? My dads back in the hospital after being home for 2 weeks due to an infection. I brought him in as soon as he developed a fever. The ER dr didnt culture anything but admitted him due to high white blood count. Hes being treated with 3 antibiotics. I thought he would be home by mow, but they biopsied two areas on his neck of concern. He has these little pimples that are flesh colored. I really believe some of them have gone away, but the residents here saying it could be a skin Metastasis...the dr hinted that this would be quite bad if confirmed to be so. I just dont understand... how does this happen? Whats the treatment and prognosis? I can't even find anything online to see what it would look like. Any help would be beneficial . Weve been through the ringer...

ConcernedDaughter

Sorry to hear about the rough time your father and family are going through.

Does it look like a rash? I wonder if it Could be some kind of alergic reaction from a medication he's taken or something new he came into contact with. Such as a soap, laundry detergent or lotion ect...

Prayers for a clear Biopsy.
Heidi

I had a metastases to the epidermal layer of skin in 2012 in level V on the neck. Cancer can go anywhere, so it is possible, not saying your fathers is, and the biopsy will confirm that, and if so, wether it is a metastases vs. skin cancer.

Hopefully it is just a minor reaction or related to the infection being treated.

Paul thank you for sharing. I just received a phone call that the results came back positive. My dads surgeon is away for the holiday and the covering dr said his only option is chemo because he just had radiation in july. Apparently chemo will keep the cancer at bay but it will eventually progress.

What treatment did you have for your metastis? Was it just one nodule or multiple? I see youve done radiation multiple times....did you experience inability to swallow? I wanna stay positive especially with it being new years eve, but im finding it difficult to do so. This infection is making him very swollen too...hoping that goes away soon.

Heidi you mentioned your mom is doing chemo...how is that going?

Prayer God will grant us a miracle because we cannot take anymore. 3 cancers in 1 year... vant be good.

I'm sorry to hear. I had the skin metastases while waiting for surgery and treatment in less than a month after another cancer, and my 4th cancer in a year, so it was just added on. My cancer at that point was no longer in the lymph nodes, and roaming about. I had a radical neck dissection, pec flap, skin graft, Intraoperative Radiation (IORT) during surgery, followed by 5 weeks IMRT radiation, and chemo with taxotere, and Erbitux. My swallowing was fine, except during Chemoradiation, mainly from mucocitis, thrush

Maybe get another opinion. There is always hope!

Wow, 4 cancers in one year? You certainly have been through a lot and seem to be doing well, which is great. I am sorry to hear youve been through so much though. I apologize for so many questions, but had you had radiation prior to that for the 3 previous cancers? Were the skin metastases removed during surgery? Have you been okay since? I just had a conversation with the radiation oncologists and they are hopeful that chemo will help....i sure hope so!!!

I am so frustrated because his CT scan showed no cancer but now this....I thought we were in the clear.

I had a mixed bag of treatments. Not all 7 cancers were with radiation as my RO at the time didn't want to do anymore at that point, and the same with chemo, but I did have several surgeries, one prior radiation and chemo alone by June 2012. One doctor, hospital change changed everything, and had more surgeries (3), IORT (2) and Chemoradiation thereafter (2) with IMRT and Protons since. That is where the doctors experience counts, while others may say no, and at facilities that can do it.

ConcernedDaughter

So sorry the hear these results. Hopefully your fathers cancer will respond to chemo . As for my mother she had 2 five day treatments of Cisplatin with F5U. My mother couldn't tolerate it . She became very sick and had to be hospitalized . A CT scan was done and my mothers cancer spread more through her neck even with the chemo .

At this point we are making a change. I have made an appointment with MD Anderson for this coming Monday January 5.

I feel that my mother has gone through 2 surgeries and taken 35 radiation treatments and 2 rounds of Chemo and it didn't help her at all . The doctors did what they could and the hospital was very nice BUT ITS TIME TO MOVE ON . When the case is complicated A Comprehensive Cancer Center is the best move .

I can't see the doctors steady pumping my mom up with different types of treatment and ruining any chances of getting a possible treatment that may work elsewhere .

ConcernedDaughter Is your father at a Comprehensive Cancer Center? If not then my opinion would be getting him to one ASAP . I have herd good results from MD Anderson and Head and Neck Cancers.


Best of luck and prayers to your father
Heidi

My dad is at a well known hospital in boston. It isnt a CCC but it is the best for head and neck cancer. I had a chat with another patients family who went to 5 different hospitals, including our local CCC and they wound up at the same hospital. I brought up the idea of traveling elsewhere, but my dad didn't seem up to it. We have plans to meet with radiation and chemotherapy doctors early next week. I spoke with someone yesterday and he seemed optimistic in that this just happened so maybe we can reverse it....i sure hope so.

Paul i see you are in NYC. Which hospital did you switch to?

Heidi, i am so sorry to hear that chemo didnt work for your mom. I hope MD Anderson is able to provide other options that help your mom feel better.

If it's a well known hospital in Boston, and best for HNC, it must be a CCC. Many just don't have that designation of being a CCC in their name or are listed by the above mentioned groups. A CCC is basically a hospital that uses a multi-modality team approach to cancer treatment.

I went to a number of top rated hospitals, and local private practices, hospitals. I was at Mt. Sinai, one of the top rated hospitals in the country, then switched to Beth Israel, which I found was even better, and btw, was not listed in the groups mentioned, but my doctors were well known, top rated. MSKCC didn't even want to consult with me lol. I'm now switching hospitals to follow my ENT practice to another top rated one in NYC, and listed in the above groups. Unfortunately, my RO went to Florida, but I have another one here at a sister hospital who did the proton therapy, and I can always go to Florida, if needed.