I'm meeting with my oncologist (medical) tomorrow. Reading up a lot about the chemo drugs. I know cisplatin is standard of care but there is a lot of research out about Eritux as being very effective. I also ran across a guy who was treated with both drugs at the same time with excellent results. Would love to hear of others experience with chem drugs?

My husband was scheduled for 3 rounds of Cisplatin, but after the first one he started having hearing issues and his MO switched him to Erbitux. Knock on wood, so far so good. Treatments and recovery were rough but he has recovered nicely.

Most people switch to Carboplatin if they have hearing issues, but I think my husband's MO switched to the Erbitux because there was a clinical trial going on that my husband was interested in but his tumor was too small to qualify. The trial would have had combined Cisplatin and Erbitux treatments.

The roughest part of the treatments was the Radiation.

The first dose of Cisplatin went fine except for the hearing issue (although I understand subsequent doses can get harder to handle).

On the Erbitux he got the rash, which is both common and can be somewhat uncomfortable, and he experienced extreme sweating...he often had to change clothes 5-6 times a day because he would be drenched in sweat. I don't think that is as common of a side effect.

If you have any more specific questions I would be happy to provide you with more details.

Where is your tumor? If you go to your profile information it is helpful to add details about the location of your cancer and the treatment plan so people can be of more assistance to you.

Thanks for your reply. I'll go to my profile to add my info. I have tonsil cancer( tonsils removed) and two nodes in my right neck.

Every time my husband was switched to a new chemo I went to the drug maker's website. I got much more info from them than even the doctors. Many times a side effect was listed on the site that the doctor didn't know about.

Sue

Erbitux is a part mouse, part human drug (chimera)that blocks the growth of new cells, My fingernails, hair, toenails all stopped growing during TX. I did not get the acne rash but it did prevent the skin from growing back from the radiation burns on my face and neck that were extremely painful. Creams, lotions, etc did nothing so I ended up with Vigilon hydrogel dressings that burn victims use. My MO said I had the worst reaction to Erbitux he had ever seen or even read about. Yet I would have taken it again because zero hearing problems, zero liver or kidney issues, very mild nausea. The radiation however was a different story and I had all the usual issues: dry mouth, choking mucous, difficulty swallowing, skin burns etc. Supposedly the worst the reaction to Erbitux, the better it is working. However since the cancer came back, I now wish I had done a chemo combo of Erbitux plus cisplatin or carboplatin. What is worrisome is the recent discovery that for colon cancer, Erbitux only works for 60% of the patients, and is totally worthless for the other 40%. they have a test for the KRAS gene involved but it is not applicable to oral cancer. They do not know if there are similar possibilities of it not working for a large percentage of head and neck cancers but do not think so. Just one more confusing issue in the multitude of choices we face. so bottom line, based solely on my experience, I would not take just Erbitux as chemo but would have it as an addition to one of the platinum based chemos. Interestingly enough, the same MO who is treating me this time decided not to use any Erbitux at all , just carboplatin as he feels I am one of the unlucky ones where the Erbitux is just not effective.

My husband was treated with Erbitux. Got the rash immediately and was then given Benadryl with each treatment. He was having RT at the same time. Much more problems from the RT than the Erbitux. Post chemo and RT his tumor was gone - couldn't see it, feel it or find it on CT scan. Docs want him to have ND for lymph node that didn't go down as much as they wanted and that is our current issue but the Erbitux appears to have done well for him in combo with the RT.

Watt, I was given Erbitux/.

I was treated with only Erbitux during my RT in 07. I broke out with the acne on face, ,and shoulders. My tumor shrank down to half the size it was at the beginning and subsequently came back in 08. I agree with Charm2017 in that I wish I would have had the combo drugs as from what I have heard and read it is more effective.

Clark, I had Rads and Erbitux combo. I don't know mych after that because I was put into a coma state for rad seed implants in my tongue.Lost the preceding almost year of my life and was out for 7 instead of the 3 days I was supposed to be in space. LOL I have to say that when I came to, I smelled like a rotten carcus of road kill, and had to talk them into a shower.