For my husband, Dennis' T1 N1 tonsil tumor, The chief H&N surgeon at Yale wants to do neck dissection, remove 30 nodes and implant brachy seeds in tonsil. After recuperation from surgery he will begin radiation 5x week for 6 weeks with cisplatin 1x week. Second opinion from an oncologist suggest this is an outdated protocol and he should initially go with chemoradiation instead. He was diagnosed 10 days ago; pet scan set for Monday 8/27. Hoping someone out there can steer us toward deciding surgery first or should he start chemoradiation instead? Thanks and Help please!

Hello Wendy,
My mom is having brachetherapy on Sept. 11th.
Her course of treatment was the chemo, Erbitux, 1/wk for 8 wks, along with radiation 5 days a week = 31 treatments.
Did your surgeon tell you anything more?
Donna

Hi D,
All we know is that the brachytherapy seeds are put in at the same time as the neck / node surgery.... after recovery from that surgery, the radiation and chemo treatments would start. Sounds like the opposite of your Mom's treatment.
We hope and pray that your Mom is doing well. Good luck and thanks for writing to us.
Wendy

Prayers for you guys too. Keep me posted please, you can email me at the address listed. I'll be curious to see how Dennis makes out. I guess he is going to have to be in a room alone for several days also?
Good luck! and God Bless.

Donna

Wendy,
Thinking of you and Dennis today....your nerves must be rattling. Let us know how he makes out.
Donna

Hey Wendy,
just wondering how you both are making out?
Update when you can.
Donna