Listen to what your gut tells you and find a team that you have confidence in. Erbitux is still a relatively experimental drug, especially for head & neck cancers. According to the manufacturer, it is only indicated for metestatic colorectal cancer at this time. They have recently completed a phase III clinical trial for efficacy for head & neck application on 424 patients (in conjunction with radiation). An additional 104 with Erbitux alone. They are submitting an application to the FDA to add the H&N indications for use.

From AP, June 8, 2005 "He estimates ImClone will be able to sell Erbitux for head and neck cancer in the United States in the second half of next year, which will add $18 million in revenue in 2006 and $59 million in 2007. Reddoch estimates that Erbitux sales will grow 47 percent next year while they will accelerate 41 percent in 2005. (Maybe Martha dumped her stock too soon)

In the latest announcement, ImClone said data showed that when Erbitux is used in combination with radiation therapy, it prevents the spread of head and neck cancer more effectively than radiation therapy alone."

It is being treated as an adjunct to radiation and the outcome data would appear similar to Cisplatin.

Historically, head & neck cancers have never responded well to chemotherapy alone and are typically used as as adjunctive treatment.

The single treatment modality of Erbitux has only been tested on 103 advanced SCCHN patients. No other data was offered.

See: http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=554150XSL_NEWSML_TO_NEWSML_WEB.xml

Erbitux shows great promise, but so did Iressa (see http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=26352 ) which has been pulled for general use for not meeting the FDA's efficacy expectations (the placebo performed better). Personally I think the the future of cancer treatment lies in genetic engineering, such as monoclonal antibodies (which is what Erbitux is). Are they really there yet? - do your homework and ask the tough questions to the oncologists.

I had radiation and chemo and I am 27 months cancer free and have most of my salivary function back. It was advanced stage and I had no surgery. But the surgery I could have had would have been very extensive - 14 hrs on the table and serious quality of life issues later. My entire team was unanimous that my outcome would be slightly better with the treatment modality I went with. If they told me the surgery would make an improvement in my survival odds - I would have gotten it in a New York minute.

Maybe you're a candidate for Proton Beam Therapy

See: http://www.llu.edu/proton/patient/sites.html