 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Hi Fr. Mike,
I just read a recent study that one Cisplatin treatment actually has a better outcome than the standard two or three (when used as a radiation enhancer). So that may be something to consider discussing with your doctors also. It does increase the survival rate 6% more, according to the statistics, than just radiation alone.
Like my doctor told me, you have decide which tools they will use in their bag of tricks.
You can also look at the NCCN practice guidelines - they have multiple possibilities for treatment of all the various head and neck cancers. Some are rated (class 1-3) Class 1 being a consensus about the efficacy to Class 3 where they pretty much disagree.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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