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Head and Neck Cancer

Archives for June 2009

Getting Started
Hi Everyone, Had my loading dose of Erbitux yesterday. They gave me a small bag of Benedryl first, and it knocked me out for 2hrs. Nothing seemed to bother other than being tired. Today was a full day. Had consult with PEG doc, then got head rest and mask made, and CAT scan for mapping. The PEG doc had set me up for tube…
GRADUATION .
Hello friends ,today June 30 is been my graduation day ! my last day of radiation after 35 tx. I did very well, never need a peg ,the sores in my mouth was 4 ,painful at times and with some burnning sensation when liquid consume but, i handle it by using the novacaine gel and mind power with god help. Thanks to all ,who in…
Chemotherapy drugs for tongue cancer.
Hi, My Dad was detected with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and we got it operated. Unfortunately it had even spread to the lymph nodes on the left side which too were removed. The doctor has said that next line of action after the surgery would be chemotherapy and radiation. I would like to know what kind of drugs…
Dental Problems after treatment
Hi, I am new to the board, so I hope this is not a question I should not ask here. I finished my treatments in December, before I had treatment, I had to have seven teeth extracted and the remaining ones were in GREAT SHAPE, but now they are awful! I have tried for over a month to find a sedation dentist (scared to death…
doing your own IV fluids
i had them leave the needle thing in my injection port and did my own IV fluids the last 2 weeks of radiation and the 2 weeks after they gave me a bunch of supplies to flush it out everytime and they changed it once a week it was a little bit of a inconvenience having it in. But i felt so much better. I dont read about…
Radiation Treatments - Salivary Glands - IMRT - Ethyrol - Amophostine
Hi, My brother has just finished his first week of 7 weeks of radiation and chemo. He has SCC with unknown primary which has metasized to his lymph nodes. The pet showed some very small hot spots but the camera in his throat, subsequent biopsies and the CAT showed nothing. He was not offered amophostine, but after…
My throat cancer
I was diagnosed in Jan 2009 with throat cancer. My drs advised me to have chemo once a week and radiation 5 days a week. The chemo was for 7 weeks and the radiation was for 8 weeks. The 37th day of radiation was the end because my neck on the outside looked like someone used a blowtorch on me. It was red, then black and I…
Thanks so Much !!!!
Thank heavens for this web site and all you folks on here!!! Have seen all the drs. now and the radiologist yesterday. They are moving fast and that's good. Mon. get the mega dose of Erbatux, Tue. the mask and mapping, and feeding tube asap.Then the 6th I get another dose of Erbatux and first Rad. treatment Thanks to you…
Immediate Hunger with Peg Tube?
my mom has a peg tube and when her hunger bell goes off, it goes off immediately... it's literally, no, i'm not hungry yet, then BAM! i'm starving, i need to eat now! we are wondering if this might be considered a normal experience. thankfully we've got her nutrition schedule down to a 20-minute window so we're prepared…
throat cancer
Hello, I'm just new to this. Have an appt with specialist mid July. Going crazy waiting. Just wondering if anybody out there had a persistent sore red throat. Going on about 7 months now, and antibiotics do not help. So we are eliminating all the posibilities. Anyone have that symptom? thanks
What to do after 6 years after treatment
Hello, I am a six year survivor of SCC. At the time of diagnosis I was an elementary school teacher working on a Masters in Psychology. Which I did finish. But the cancer prevented me from practicing. Obviously, I need to use my voice for both of these careers. The bad news is, I had to go on disability because my saliva…
How often are treatments cancelled due to problems with patient's blood count?
Something was screwy with my husband's blood count (sorry I don't know what it was) and his chemo treatment for today was cancelled. He has only had 2 chemo treatments! How could his counts be so affected already? The staff at his oncologist's office were very serious cautioning him to not be around anyone sick, to keep…
Love your sense of humor, Joe!
Joe, I love reading your comments and I always seem to chuckle when I read yours. You are helping all of us more than you know. Keep it up....you are an inspiration! Penny
Radical Neck Dissection
Hello, everyone, I keep missing so much time in checking the boards! Today we went to the ENT's for prognosis after the second round of F&A's and another CT scan 10 days ago and although we knew they'd want to do surgery I was sure they'd only do a 'selective' neck dissection cuz through all the conversations with all the…
New at this. Just diagnosed w/base of tongue squamouse cell.
Have been reading everyone's posts since finding this site. I have found all very helpful. Found pennyn14 post first and read everything from everyone.Most of her questions were mine.My wife,Ruth, was scared to death,but after reading the posts in June, ending on the 21st she felt a lot better as did I. Soccerfreaks you're…
New here -- tongue cancer
being brand new to this cancer thing, i'm hoping to gather information. researching on line is doable and important yet i yearn to cut to the chase if possible! my mom was diagnosed with tongue cancer in march. since, she's had it removed (surgery) and is recovering at home. radiation (5x week) is next.... then, another…
Want to wish you luck tomorrow Glenna
Glenna, I just want to wish you luck tomorrow. If I remember right you are getting your first chemo treatment tomorrow....a day before my husband. My prayers are with you and just remember YOU CAN DO IT. Maybe taking a Lorazapam before you go will help. I am sure my husband will have extreme anxiety the morning he goes and…
6 more days to go !!
Hi everyone, just keep posting that i still doing fine so far ,and have 6 more days to complete my 35 tx of radiation.I lost so far 12 pounds so the weight is been going down gradually and healthy as i planned even that i was in the need of losing some pounds in order to control my b/p too. I experiencing some sores total…
Swollen sinus and ear pain from radiation
Checking to see if anyone has had issues with their sinus's after radiation treatments to their Head/Neck. My treatment was directed at my sinuses and lymphs, but I still have issues with my sinus's not draining and water building up cause severe ear and sinus pain... any suggestions on what I can do to help it would be…
g tube
just wondering when you get the tube if you are in a great deal of painthe day it is done doc told hubby it would be tender for a couple of days and he is in alot of pain says he has to push next to where the tube is to ease the pain they didnt send him home with a script for pain meds not eating and they wonder why they…
Feeding Tube
Do most patients have a tube put in prior to radiation and chemo treatments? My husband has squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue? He had surgery to remove a lymph node. He already had the port put in last week. Or do some doctors see how much weight you lose first? Thanks again everyone, Penny
New and glad I joined
I'm a new member thanks to my best friend searching websites to help give me some support. In January 2009, I was diagnosed with tongue, lympth nodes in the neck and a place on my lung. It is called small cell squamous cell cancer stage 4. Needless to say, I am a nervous wreck. My entire life has changed and I hate it. I…
chat room
does anyone know how to get to the chat rooms? it tells me it will load moment if not hit the connect button at the bottom there is no button on my screen thanks
Newly Diagnosed.. Looking for Words of Wisdom
My mother was just diagnosed w/ tonsil cancer. She appears to be state 2 w/ some in her nodes. She is going to start intensive radiation (2x a day for 2 weeks), then chemo and then surgery to remove the nodes. I live at a 3 hour distance. I'm trying to anticipate the days ahead - any suggestions, helpful hints, words of…
Rash and tenderness from feeding tube??
I hope someone can help me with my concerns about my feeding tube as I don't want to be the type of patient who calls their doctor with a million questions everyday :) I had a feeding tube put in on Tuesday, June 9th and everything seemed fine. Yesterday while I was doing my daily cleaning of the tube and stoma (sp?) I…
Tonsil Cancer
My mother was just diagnosed w/ Stage 2 tonsil cancer. She is reluctantly having the peg put in -- but her doctor wants to relocated her salavary glands to try to preserve them. In researching the procedure I see it is experimental; however, I don't see where she has anything to lose by trying it. If ti works and saves a…
Question about F & A results
We just today had another series of needle biopsies performed at the VA. The pathologist who did the first ones 2 weeks ago said there was no indication of cancer in the 3 samples they took but the ENT didn't trust his info and sent us for another series. Today, the pathologist (another hospital) did 5 biopsies and said…
Husband just got results from ct scan - fabulous
Just wanted to share with everyone out there that we got the results from my husband's first ct scan since he completed inductive chemo and imrt radiation. The radiation oncologist said there was no evidence of residual tumor and it looked fabulous. He returned to work this week after being off for 6 months. He's taking it…
teatment of family by cancer centers
As a wife with a husband that has head and neck cancer I found in the treatment center that I was treated like a stranger that had just walked in off the street. Ive been dismissed more times than I can count. Has anyone else been treated like this? HOW LONG DO CRY AND CRY? HE WAS DIAGNOISED 2 MONTHS AGO
Can my husband die from this?
Ok, you friends have been so helpful thus far. I just met with a friend who said his friend died of tonsil cancer...I don't know the details of this person's cancer, I think my friend didnt want to tell me details because he saw the look on my face when he started talking... My husband starts chemo tomorrow, I want to ask…

Head and Neck Cancer

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