I recently read those studies too. There is very clear data that for Stage III and IV cancers, that Cisplatin in combination with radiation greatly decreases the chances of recurrence.

Where there seems to be genuine disagreement about whether it helps is for Stage II folks with some risk factors, such as I have, when radiation is indicated for them.

I had over 20 nodes removed and all were clean but the path. report indicated signs of perineural involvement, and the tumor was fairly thick. Becuase of this there seems to be general agreement that I need radiation (though some disagreement abotu the form of it, I will post about this elsewhere), but not agreement abotu whether combining it with chemo should be done.

I now have opinions on what to do from two cancer care centers. I am being treated at an extension facility of Roswell Park in Buffalo and I went to Dana Farber for a second opinion. At Dana Farber they strongly recommended concurrent chemo, the radiation oncologist here said there wasn't strong data that it had the same benefits for Stage II folks. This is because of the two experiments done to test whether the concurrent chemo was more effective only one (which was done in Europe) included hiugh risk Stage II patients and they did not report their results for each Stage spearately.

After visitng Dana Farber, though, I was ready to throw whatever ammunition I could at this cancer. I would go for both.

It may end up being a moot point for me, however, because I also am fighting Stage I breast cancer at the same time as my tongue cancer and the lumpectomy/sentinal node removal incision sites (had this surgery done 3 weeks ago after the surgery on my tongue 5 weeks ago) became infected and had to be opened and drained so I now have a deep open wound healing on my breast, and a smaller one under my arm, which will probably still be healing when I start radiation for the tongue (since the incisions had to be opened and driane what they do is rinse it out and pack it with gauze each day at the hospital--luckily we only live 2 miles from there--and it heals from the inside out. Last week they were using two large gauze padsto pack it, this week it has healed enough to take only one). I've been told there is no way they will give me chemo if the breast incision is still healing since it would stop the healing process in its tracks. And also told that the radiation on the mouth shouldn't wait for that healing to occur.

I got the feeling they didn't want to do it anyway in my acse though. Although it is apparently part of the standard protocol in Eurpoe for treating high risk Stage II, it is what the Roswell Park rad. oncologist called a "category 3" for the protocol here (meaning. I gathered, that there is no strong agreement among folks at the different national cancer centers that it is of benefit) for Stage II.

Again, though, this is NOT the case for Stage III. It is pretty clearly of benefit if you have any node involvement.

Nelie