Trisha,

I've heard Erbitux, and other targeted therapies, being used long term as palliative care or chemoprevention. I believe it has to be used at least 6 months, so I read, to be more effective. I was going to take Tarceva, another targeted therapy and EGFR inhibitor, due to all my recurrences, as chemoprevention, but my doctor eventually said it wasn't for me, and I read disappointing findings with that since for Chemoprevention, as they call it, even though there is no sign of cancer. Long term, Erbitux dosing may be different, smaller, and heard side effects may become less.

I know what you mean like insulin, but the doctors may be more technical in classification of drugs, and how they work. Btw, is your husband a diabetic? I am, and my numbers were sky high before cancer, but now it's more manageable probably due to the dramatic weight loss.

As far as pain, is it being managed by medication and doctors? There's no reason to tough it out as it can interfere with many daily actives, sleep and health. Yes, it's possible to have decreased or pain eliminated as the tumor shrinks, it has happened to me, but as with all things, there are no guarantees. There is pain management, who I see now for my back, and another time at the cancer center with my jaw/teeth issues, and were very helpful. I took pain meds the entire time I was in treatment or had surgeries, and longer from my various cancer doctors, but being out of treatment four years, I had to see an outside pain management doctor.

We don't really use the term remission in squamous cell head and neck cancer, at least that I heard, and only seen it used once or twice in recent medical literature, but is used numerous times by patients/caretakers on other groups, but I know what you mean.

I hope this helps!