Met with Oncologist and Radiologist at the first CCC this week.
In total agreement on treatment with the Oncologist and our ENT surgeon is on board, too. He wants to use Erbitux once a week before radiation. Six week in total. We can live with that. The radiologist wants to use IMRT, not just on the right side where the tonsil cancer was removed, but also on the left side. That threw us both, as the ENT said he felt with clean pathology results, only the one side needed radiation. Pet scan before surgery clean, except tonsil, and all pathology clean except right tonsil. So frustrating I just want to scream.

Thursday we go for the second opinion at The Siteman Cancer Center. We are very curious how they will approach the radiation. Because our ENT was with Siteman for 12 years, he knows they will suggest the Erbitux, but not sure about the other.

We are planning on beginning treatments at one of the CCC next week after deciding on the place and course of treatment. Does anyone know if the suggestion of radiating both sides is even necessary? That does not leave us many options down the road. But, this one Dr wants no chance of having to go down this road again! Thoughts, please?

Nancy

Wife, caregiver
Diagnosed 5-7-13
SCC right tonsil HPV+
No node or tissue involvement
Surgery 5-20-13 removed both tonsils, neck dissection
Pathology Clear of cancer, no other involvement
tumor right at 4cm, so was staged T3N0M0
Treatments suggested both radiation and chemo
Have not begun that journey