Chuck, thank you for being right on top of this issue, while they are in the decision making process. It is of the utmost importance that we get the best information available out there to those that need it early in their process.

Ron and Scott - As a stage four patient, you need to approach this with everything at your disposal. Fear of side effects is a common concern here on the boards. And there is no doubt that side effects from chemo, radiation, salvage surgery, are significant. Just remember that this is already at a late stage. Time is not on your side and you need to begin treatments in a timely manner. It is in your lymph system and that is connected to everything else in your body. I do not wish to alarm you unnecessarily, but once the disease leave the loco-regional area, the odds get significantly worse. Side effects of treatment will seem a minor issue if this gets out of the head and neck region.

Hi Ron and Scott, my husband is a stage four, T3N2BM0 and he had 4 cycles of cisplatin along with his radiation and surgery. Yes there are side effects but that recommendation was made after our oncologist convened a tumor board, and consulted with head and neck oncology specialists at Sloan Kettering and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
There's a number of people who have had talked about having cisplatin on this forum, if you do a search you can get to those posts. By all means ask the doctors and other forum members about side effects but there is nothing you're going to encounter that doesn't have them and Brian's right that you need to have timely treatment. Let the doctors know your concerns and ask them their rational for one chemo versus another. In Jack's case they felt it was the best drug for his situation.
Jack didn't take any supplements and I'd be more concerned about that than the cisplatin because they can interfere with the tretments you are having. Please discuss that with your oncologist before deciding what to do.
Good luck with your treatments.
Regards JoAnne

Hi Ron,
and welcome to the forum.

I had Cisplatin and also hearing damage both from childhood and being a musician for 45 years. They had to cut it short by one treatment because they couldn't control the nausea (I didn't respond to Zofran very effectively - that may not be your experience however). Also the tumor responded so rapidly to the radiation that it had dissapeared completely by the third week.

The Cisplatin didn't cause me any hearing loss problems. Strangely enough, my hearing sensitivity in the mid and higher ranges actually improved slightly from the baseline tests.

It is a very powerful drug. If you choose it, report any changes to your oncologist immediately.

Protocell or the book you referenced aren't listed on Quackwatch but many doctors recommend against supplements, megavitamins and/or antioxidants during treatment. Always clear EVERYTHING with your oncologist FIRST.

You wish to refer to this section of Quackwatch for a deeper understanding of the problems with alternative treatments http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/altseek.html

Looking at the reviews on Amazon, It would not surprise me if this book makes the Quackwatch.

It took some digging but I found it"

"CanCell -- originally called Entelev and recently renamed Cantron and Protocel -- is a liquid claimed to cure cancer by "lowering the voltage of the cell structure by about 20%," causing cancer cells to "digest" and be replaced with normal cells. Accompanying directions have warned that bottles of CanCell should not be allowed to touch each other or be placed near any electrical appliance or outlet. CanCell has also been promoted for the treatment of AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, "extreme cases of emphysema and diabetes," and several other diseases. In 1989, the FDA reported that CanCell contained inositol, nitric acid, sodium sulfite, potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and catechol. Subsequently, its promoters claimed to be modifying the formulation to make it more effective . They have also claimed that CanCell can't be analyzed because it varies with atmospheric vibrations and keeps changing its energy . Laboratory tests conducted between 1978 and 1991 by the NCI found no evidence that CanCell was effective against cancer. The FDA has obtained an injunction forbidding its distribution to patients."

A link to the source article:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html

Oops! Free free to edit my prvious post.