Hello everyone, glad I happened upon this site. I'm
newly diagnosed with squamous cell ca right side of neck, primary appears to be base of tongue. Have begun chemo treatments, Taxol and Carboplatin weekly x 6 weeks then radiation daily x 6 weeks then surgery. I am having my 3rd chemo tx tomorrow

Welcome, Joe.

That is the chemo mix I had after a bad reaction to Cisplatin, and I tolerated it very well, the only downside being loss of head hair, but not eyebrows or eyelashes. That is the Taxol at work. Do not worry, it will grow back.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding your post, but aren't you having the chemo and the rad concurrently?

Stick around and any questions you have about treatment or recovery will be answered by those who have been there before you.

And always remember that as intense as things are right now, this is just a small part of your life and it will soon be history.

Thanks Joanna, Currently my tx regimen is chemo only x 4 more weeks, but my oncologist said that next week if the mass is not showing significant reduction then he may consider combo therapy w chemo and radiation. I am a hospital pharmacist so I am very familiar with the meds but it is sure strange to be on the receiving side versus the compounding and dispensing side. Currently I am only experiencing the aching and fatigue for a couple of days after tx. I must admit I am dreading the rad.

Hi there Joe,

Best wishes to a fellow Arkansan - I also had SCC right side of neck with primary at base of tongue. My chemo regimen was basically the same as yours with the addition of 5-FU. I also had my neck dissection after radiation/chemo. I am doing very well 2 years post treatment with the exception of a few swallowing and dry mouth issues - but they are manageable. One day at a time during treatment and like Joanna says it will soon be history.

Where are you at in Arkansas if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Hot Springs Village and received treatment in Little Rock. There are several other Arkies on the forum as well - I'm sure you'll be hearing from them. Stay on the forum and ask questions as you need to - there is a wealth of good information here.

Pam

Welcometo the forum Joe.... look on the bright side.. in a very few months all this will be over and you will be invaluable to others coming after you.
Marica

Hi Pam,
I live in Forrest City, which is about 50 miles west of Memphis. I am getting my chemo tx at The West Clinic in Memphis, not sure yet where I will be getting my radiation tx. It sure is comforting to be able to converse with others about this, I have been handling all of this relatively well since my diagnosis of this on 07/27/06, but obviously the unknown expectations are rampant thoughts in my mind.

Joe,

I grew up in Jonesboro and that's not too far from Forrest City. Even now when we go to Memphis, we always stop in Forrest City for gas and/or bathroom breaks! My mom was a patient several years ago where you are being treated. Anytime those rampant thoughts get pesky just log on here for reassurance. There are lots of people ready to help. You can e-mail me at [email protected] if you need to. I would love to help you if I can.

Pam

Pam,
Yes Jonesboro is just up the road about 60 miles or so. That is where I had my initial CT scan a few weeks ago, since then I have had biopsies and a PET scan in Memphis. Im curious why your 40 rads were 1/2 conv and 1/2 IMRT?
Also I am curious since your diagnosis sounds so much like mine, are you experiencing any speaking, swallowing or right side shoulder weakness as a result of your course of therapy?
Joe

Joe,

The tumor in my neck was very large so the radiation oncologist began with conventional XRT treatments. With the concurrent chemo my tumor responded quickly so after 4 weeks he moved me to the IMRT machine to try and spare some salivary glands and surrounding tissues. I have a partial dry mouth - I do produce some saliva but I also carry a water bottle everywhere I go. As far as swallowing goes, I do have some issues. My ENT insisted on a feeding tube and I am glad he did because I couldn't swallow anything from about 3 weeks into treatment until about 5-6 months post treatment. The tube was pulled out after 9 months. I have progressed with my eating the past year and a half starting with really soft foods and going from there. I still have to eat small bites and it takes me a long time to eat. This is due to scar tissue building up in my esophagus from the radiation. Try to swallow during radiation - I couldn't/didn't and I think that caused some of my difficulties. But even though I have eating issues it's manageable and I have gained 13 pounds in a year. I lost over 50 pounds even with the feeding tube.

As far as the right shoulder weakness goes - if you have a neck dissection I imagine the shoulder weakness is inevitable. I can lift my right arm over my head but it is noticeably weaker. I make myself use the right arm and I lift weights and exercise it to keep it moving -it's not that big a deal for me.

I don't have any speech difficulties other than my mouth dries out faster when I talk a lot. One thing to remember, even though our diagnosis sounds so much alike, the treatment plans and side effects are very individualized.

Hope I have helped you some - any other concerns, don't hesitate to ask.

Pam

Joe,

Everyone reacts differently, but I had six weeks of radiation and had NO problem. I have heard from other people who had treatments of radiation the same time I did and they said radiation was much easier than chemo. Take a positive attitude that radiation is going to be easy and it won't effect me. Joanne is so correct is stating that this is a small portion of your life and it will be over soon. I recently purchased a second home near Eureka Springs AK. All the people I have met from your state are very friendly and kind. o I'm sure you have a good support system, which is vital in your positive success.

Hacklene