Hi Michelle;

Very sorry to learn of your brother's condition, and all the other health related issues your family has had to deal with.

I cannot help you with the hereditary question, but I am certain you will get the information you are looking for through this forum.

I used the Carnation products when I first had trouble swallowing solid foods, about two-thirds way through my radiation treatments. You are referring to "Instant Breakfast", correct ? If yes, they are generally available in larger food stores or warehouse-style distributors. They mix well with milk, and you can easily enhance a blender full with different fruits (bananas being one of the best for both nutrition as well as texture), ice cream - you name it.

Your staging reference doesn't sound quite right. My lay-person understanding of staging has mostly to do with the size of a tumour, how many there might be, and where the tumour(s) are located.

Stage 1 is the smallest tumour with Stage 2 being larger, up to a certain circumference (sorry, I cannot recall this measurement). Stage 3 and Stage 4 cancers are referred to as locally advanced. These cancers are larger, and/or they may have spread to regional lymph nodes. Stage 3 are greater than 4 centimeters in diameter (a little over 1 1/2 inches), or any size that has spread to a single lymph node on the same side of the neck as the primary cancer, with that lymph node measuring less than 3 centimeters in diameter. Stage 4 cancers are cancers that have spread to other adjacent tissues, which may or may not include the lymph nodes. Stage 4 also refers to cancers that have spread to: 1) more than one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the primary site; or 2) when it has spread to more than one lympth node(s) on one or both sides of the neck; or 3) when any lymph node is greater than 6 centimeters (+ 2 inches) in diameter.

My focus was on Stage 4 because that was the stage my cancer had progressed to at the time of my initial diagnosis. I could have been a Stage 2 or a Stage 1 if I had been smart enough to go to the doctor when the symptoms first arrived.

As twisted as it might sound, I recall wishing I was a Stage 1 or 2 way back then ! Its hardly something to wish for, but it wasn't as scary as being Stage 4, let me tell you !

If your brother's Stage 2 is confirmed, he should have a realistic expectation of beating the disease. Based on what I have read and been exposed to, the results of radiation plus chemotherapy (or another combination of therapies) are better than radiation alone.

But remember, every cancer patient is unique and comparisons with other people and their treatments can easily mislead you. Personally, I didn't derive much comfort from the numbers and chose to keep my mind and energy focused on what I wanted to happen to me, not what had happened to others. Mind you, my situation was much more serious than your brother's, and very little I came across was encouraging. In any case, I believe one's mental strength is one of the best allies a cancer patient can have, and every ounce of energy will be needed to fight the battle. So, don't waste resources by worrying !

You have found an excellent support group here, and you will be encouraged to return often to both obtain information as well as post your brother's progress.

I wish you and your family every success in your collective fight for a return to good health and happiness for all.

Sincerely,
JT2