MY HUSBAND IS 43 AND WAS DIAGNOSED IN DECEMBER 2005 WITH RIGHT TONSIL CANCER. HE PRESENTED WITH LARGE LYMPH NODE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. HAS TONSILECTOMY 12-05-05, AND RT MODIFIED NECK 12-30-05. hE WILL START RADIATION THIS WEEK,STANDARD RADIATION ON THE RT AND IMRT ON THE LEFT IN HOPES OF SAVING LT PARODID.I HAVE TO SAY I AM A LITTLE ANGRY ABOUT THE DELAY IN TREATMENT, HE HAD TO WAIT 20 ADDITIONAL DAYS TO GET NECK DISECTION BECAUSE IT WAS A BUSY TIME OF THE YEAR(KIDS AVIND ELECTIVE TOSILECTOMIES OVER WINTER BREAK) WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS DELAY WOULD NOT HARM HIM, HOWEVER NOW POST BIOPSY WE FIND THAT WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS 1 NODE IS 5, AND INSTEAD OF EARLY STAGE 3 ,HE IS NOW A STAGE 4. WE WERE TOLD BY THE RADIOLGY ONCOLOGIST THAT THIS IS A VERY AGGRESIVE CANCER IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH NO HISTORY OF SMOKING OR DRINKING.(I TOLD HER THAT I HAD READ ABOUT HPV16 AND THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER PROGNOSIS, SHE SAID THE STUDIES ARE EARLY). RADIATION WITH CISPLTIN WILL START THIS WEEK, FOLLOWED BY HIGH DOSE TAXOL/CARBO. THEY DID NOT WANT TO USE IMRT ON AFFECTED SIDE FOR FEAR OF MISSING SOME CELLS. THE RADIOLOGY ONCOLOGIST TOLD ME THAT HIS CHANCES ARE 50/50, I HAVE NOT TOLD HIM,SHOULD I? THE LAST HE KNEW HIS CHANCES WERE 80% CURE AND HE HAD A SAD LOOK WHEN THE ENT TOLD HIM THIS.HE HAS NOT DONE ANY READING ON THE INTERNET ON THIS DISEASE.i AM A NURSE AND WHEN I STARTED READING ABOUT THE PROGNOSIS I CRIED FOR WEEKS.IS IT BETTER TO KNOW, HE IS A VERY STRONG MAN,BUT HE STILL TELLS EVERYONE THAT IT WAS CAUGHT EARLY.HE DID GET DIAGNOSED WITHIN A WEEK OF SYMPTOMS,BUT THEN TREATMENT HAS BEEN DELAYED.I WOULD WANT TO KNOW, BUT HE SEEMS CONTENT BEING IN THE DARK. THE DENTIST DID NOT MENTION TOOTH GUARDS, WHAT ARE THESE? HOW DO WE GET THEM? ARE THER ANY LONG TERM SURVIVORS OUT THERE,IF SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
THANK YOU,