Duffy writes:

"and the RO said �if it were him� he would enroll and hope to get the Erbitux arm."

This was also the attitude of my doctor buddies - one from a neurologist standpoint having had to treat neuropathy and other side effects of platinum-based therapy, and the other a pediatric oncologist standpoint. The cetuximab is a gamble, but the cispatin is a gamble, too.

The one question I would ask about now is whether or not there is any radiological evidence of matted lymph nodes. If there isn't, that's great. If there is, the followup question would be if any change in protocol should be considered in light of that fact. Here is a link to one of the forum stories on it: http://oralcancernews.org/wp/new-me...throat-cancer-to-other-body-parts-found/

Remember, this is a SMALL study and the prognostic value of the matted nodes may not be very accurate for the population as a whole.