Good scan results

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adrian b
adrian b Member Posts: 13
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hey everyone, just wanted to share some good news. I got results from my MRI today and was told my tumour has shrunk quite a bit from the chemo which I am ecstatic about.

I have stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and instead of going straight into radiation/chemo treatment which I am told is apparently the standard treatment, the Head and Neck team decided to start with two rounds of chemo (cistplatin and 5FU) before going into the radiation/chemo combo. The reason for this was that my tumour had spread up into optic chiasm and wrapped itself around the pituitary gland, optic nerve and several cranial nerves and the chemo was intended to shrink the tumour to reduce the risk of losing sight and other functions that radiation treatment could affect.

Previously, the pituitary gland could not even be seen on the scans and now it is quite clearly seen and the tumour has shrunk from other critical functions as well. Radiation starts tomorrow and although the risk of losing sight etc. is still there, the risk isn't quite as great. It is quite a comfort to know that the treatment is working, lets hope it continues to do so.

Adrian

Comments

  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #2
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    Good to Hear
    Adrian, glad things are going according to plan. Good luck with the radiation treatments. Cheers.

    Jimbo
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #3
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    Sounds good
    It sounds like your doctors know what they are doing!!! Very encouraging news, wishing you the best during the rest of your treatment.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #4
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    VERY HAPPY FOR YOU
    This is a great way to start my Monday.

    Time now to blast the rest of the C away forever.

    Mike
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
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    Congrats on the Clean Scan
    Standard - I'm not so sure if there is a specific order, between chemo, radiation, surgery or any combination. From what my ENT old me at the time, it was basically what was producing the best results throughout the medical community and the particular facility.

    For me with STGIII SCC Tonsil Cancer and a lymphnode which was close to the carotid they took a similar approach.

    They removed the tonsils, but left the tumor hoping that between the nine weeks (three week cycles) of chemo (cisplatin, taxotere and 5fu). Then concurrent seven weeks of weekly carboplatin and 35 daily rads, that the tumor would shrink or in my case it dissolved away.

    So I didn't have a neck dissection...

    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #6
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    Good scan results.
    Yay! Happy to read treatment is going well. Hope it continues and will read a post you are Ned soon.
  • adrian b
    adrian b Member Posts: 13
    #7
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Congrats on the Clean Scan
    Standard - I'm not so sure if there is a specific order, between chemo, radiation, surgery or any combination. From what my ENT old me at the time, it was basically what was producing the best results throughout the medical community and the particular facility.

    For me with STGIII SCC Tonsil Cancer and a lymphnode which was close to the carotid they took a similar approach.

    They removed the tonsils, but left the tumor hoping that between the nine weeks (three week cycles) of chemo (cisplatin, taxotere and 5fu). Then concurrent seven weeks of weekly carboplatin and 35 daily rads, that the tumor would shrink or in my case it dissolved away.

    So I didn't have a neck dissection...

    John

    Thanks everyone
    Thanks everyone for the kind words. Still a long way to go but so far so good. I have been very happy with both my medical oncologist and the radiation oncologist. They have worked together well and keep me well informed of where we are at with the treatment and what to expect etc.

    John, fantastic that the tumor dissolved away, I am looking forward to that being my outcome also. My medical oncologist told me yesterday that there seems to be a lot of debate about the treatment of NPC. It seems that in some of the Asian countries, the belief is that the follow up chemo is not necessary as all the benefit is with chemo during the radiation, however a study out of the US contradicts this and says that three rounds of cisplatin following the radiation produces the best outcome. With me, the decision was to split the three rounds of follow up chemo into two at the front at one at the end of treatment. I think as you said, whatever works is the way to go. Every cancer and patient is different and therefore responds to treatment differently.

    Adrian
  • hawk711
    hawk711 Member Posts: 566
    #8
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Good scan results.
    Yay! Happy to read treatment is going well. Hope it continues and will read a post you are Ned soon.

    Adrian
    Great News!!!!!!! Keep up that positive spirit and attitude going...All the best during the final treatments....
    All the best,,, Steve
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #9
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    hawk711 said:

    Adrian
    Great News!!!!!!! Keep up that positive spirit and attitude going...All the best during the final treatments....
    All the best,,, Steve

    Yes
    Also NPC, glad to hear the results; and, yes, hopes and Prayers that it keeps working.

    kcass

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