Virtually all oncologists agree that Chemotherapy is essential coupled with radiation, in head and neck cancers.
Darrell

Darrell,
now you have me curious about your comment!?!? Robert had 6 adjunctive Cisplatin infusions with his radiation treatments. This is typical NCCN protocol for advanced staged H&N cancer.

They are suggesting an additional chemo regime, probably prophylactic, for whatever reason they deem necessary, particularly since recurrence was NOT mentioned in this instance.

In any case it doesn't address the original post in that he has serious nutritional issues from not eating.

The weeks after radiation ends are really the worst -- the body has been through hell, so you are at the lowest point both physically and mentally, and the effects of the radiation continue to make themselves felt -- that is, can actually continue to show up -- for at least a month afterwards, according to both my husband's MO and RO (and both nurses, all well-experienced with HNC treatment). After a month, then things do start to get better and for some people, this can happen fairly quickly -- they may be eating "real food" instead of liquid stuff -- but in others it is very slow. At this point depression is a real risk. While actually in treatment there is that daily routine and the sense you are "doing something" but afterwards, especially if the hospital does not have good on-going follow-up, patients feel at sea and not in control.

Gail