Surgery isnt an option because the cancer is so thin on the skin and is coveting his entire neck. It isnt even showing up on scans...they only know from two hole-punch biopsies. I read alot about photodynamic therapy and it seems that it makes sense, but im no doctor. I am going to reach out to another CCC in the area and see if they have any other options for us, including proton therapy and photodynamic therapy. My dad starts chemo tomorrow, but i think they are writing this off as incurable. Unfortunately, this hospital only see 2 to 3 skin metastases each year with poor prognosis. I am trying to remain optimistic in the fact that its only in the skin and not in the lymph nodes or in any other organs. We are looking into clinical trials as well, but i am not sure if he is eligible or even wants to go that route.

Today our visiting nurse asked us if we wanted to setup hospice care which really frustrated us. My dad is healthy and stable. I get this is uncommon and ominous, but he isnt at that point. The doctor said there was a 20 percent chance his stage 1 cancer would become aggressive and an even lower percentage that it would spread to his skin. Those odds have not been in my favor, but hoping the slim odds that chemo woll get rid of it will. Theres always hope!

perhaps grafting if they decide not to do the photo therapy (which as you said sounds best) I had a small lump (turned out to be a clamp) on my neck showed it to my surgeon, he said - just a clamp - they're concern was with any possible rash - which thankfully - I didn't have. hugs and hopefully they do something fast.
has he had rads?????? I didn't see it in your info. Chemo is not always a good option. He might be better with rads if he hasn't had it yet.

hugs.

He finished rads in September which is why they are saying it isnt an option, because ideally that would be the next step. From what I gather from the MO, the chemo is to slow the growth down...buy us time I guess. Apparently my dads cancer is quite aggressive and didnt mind the rads because it recurred in his tongue and in a node pretty complexly. His surgeon seems confident that there is something that can be done, whatever that may be...

We already discussed surgery, he said it isnt an option. If it was one small area then yes, but its along his neck dissection incision and trache scar. I know chemo alone doesnt work with SCC, but heres to hoping.

Maybe the proton therapy... Push push push... as long as that is what he wants PUSH. Sometimes more creative options make a difference. Also maybe having the cancer tested against different chemos will help to see what is effective against it. HUGS!

You sound just like me! I haven't given up hope on my Dad, he was diagnosed in 2012. Had radiation & again irradiated this summer, a year after his previous radiation. Didn't stop it since it has metastasized to his hip bone & now scalp! He has 2 bumps on his scalp that are getting bigger. Dr's wanted to do a bone biopsy to confirm metastasis but we decided against it since I'm worried of it spreading quicker. My Dad argued with his oncologist last week and pretty much fired him. MO is head of the H&N dept here in Georgia at the best one in Georgia! So, we had gotten another opinion at MDA in Houston and now are trying to get him into a clinical trial there. So, I have faith that there is something else we can do. I'm not giving up and neither should you, but do go seek other opinions. His MO has the same clinical trial here and doesn't want to put him into it because he's not active enough. Yet at MDA they are trying to get him in. I'm just praying he gets in and he starts treatment soon! Praying for you & your Dad!
Connie

Connie keep me posted on the clinical trial. Hopefully he does well and starts soon!. I've read your posts before on your dad - glad to hear he keep pushing forward to find something for him. Right now my dad is doing a combo of carboplatin, taxol and Erbitux for chemo. He's doing weekly infusions over 4 hours and so far so good (fingers crossed). I know everyone says that chemo isn't a good option for OC but I am hopeful that my dad will be a miracle. We will see how this goes. In the meantime, the doctors are keeping an eye on any clinical trials he may be eligible for.

My dad had a skin metastasis on his neck but it doesn't fit the normal case where it grows quickly....it popped up quickly but thankfully appears stable. I inquired about proton therapy and other treatments such as photodynamic therapy but they are saying it isn't an option right now because this is a systematic issue although it appears local so chemo and immunotherapy are best. My dad has had a decent reaction with doctors saying it is better than they expected. He's experienced some nausea and mucositis thus week. Hoping things keep progressing forward.