Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | Nelie, You raise very good questions and only you can ulitmately decide on your plan. My oncologist basically told me it was up to me what tools I wanted them to use in the arsenal. Now my cancer was more advanced than yours but it was well contained and there was no lymph node involvement. It was also a polyp type of tumor which further made it easier to treat. Stage II you are on the fence as you already know (and have been informed from your medical team). It's all about the risk/benefit and what statistical odds will additional treatment obtain for you.
Many here would suggest hitting now with all you've got. Waiting until a recurrence happens (if it does happen) can have disastrous results.
The problem that must considered is that chemo doesn't have a great impact on head & neck cancers by itself. So in the case of a multi-modality treatment such as surgery and chemo, most of the benefit would be from the surgery. In the case of radiation and chemo there is a adjunctive and synergistic effect in which the chemo can actually add as much as 13-16% to your 5 year survival odds which is a considerable number.
Then there are the risks from radiation. Aren't you glad you asked?!?!? The advantage of going to the CCC is that they have seen many cases like yours and have a good feeling about what works from experience. Your doctors seem to be right in line with giving you sound advice.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** 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) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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