Please remember that these discussion boards are a public forum, which means open to the public (i.e. non-CSN members) and the content can be found via internet search engines. Members are strongly advised not to share personal identifiers such as real names, email address, telephone number, street address, etc. This information can be used to identify you and link you to the content you provide. Other areas of CSN are restricted to members only and cannot be found by search engines.

Head and Neck Cancer

Archives for October 2017

New to H&N and very SCARED
Hi... I've recently posted here a few times already and only one person replied, but here goes. In a few hours I will have an MRI of my neck to confirm a mass that was recently scoped by my new ENT at the base of my tongue. He suspects it is HPV. I don't know anything else YET but both my wife and I have had other cancers…
One month post treatment
Hi, Me again. My 72 year old dad had his last radiation treatment on Sept 29th. He had 5 days a week for 7 weeks radiation, and was to have chemo once a week for those 7 weeks. They had to stop after the 5th chemo because of side effects on his blood. They did not resume that treatment, so he missed the last two chemos. He…
Post Surgery Corrections
Hi, My son has undergone reuired surgery and treatment for SINOVIAL SARCOMA on Left Temporal regison. He had to forego his left JAW MUSCLES in the process which has created a deformation (CAVITY) on this face. It is 4 + years now and doctors are suggested to go in for FACIAL SURGERY to correct the deformation. I am…
Weight gain... how to plump up my hubby?
Hello all! It’s been awhile. I hope everyone is doing well. My husband is in his 6 month of post treatment. I can’t believe how time flies! Thanks goodness for that. He’s doing well. His first PET scan was clear and all dr. visits have been really good. His taste is coming along nicely and for the most part he’s eating…
Cancer of Tonsil - PET scan Question
Hi all, I'm the caregiver/medical advocate for my husband who was diagnosed with Stage iV, Tonsil with METS to Lymph Node. We found the lymph node first which was 3.5 cm by 4. We had an excellent ENT who has Oncology Exp. And went from AnitBIOMeds/Scope/MRI/Biopsy/PET and then Surgical Biopsy with Option for Neck…
What to eat when everything tastes like cardboard?
I know the superthread has info on this, and trust me, I've been there. I have tried so many things from there with limited success. I'm hoping to get some more current ideas of what to try on my husband. He's hungry and willing to try things, but we have a very limited menu right now. He was able to eat beef bone broth…
SSC
Hi All, I was diagnosed with SSC - Base of the tongue by july 2017.. successfully completed 33 rads & 6 chemos... After one month of treatments took PET Scan & the results say the tumor is not shrunken as expected, also never spread to any other organs. Tumor size is 20×50 mm ... Only 3 lymph nodes affected.. What can i…
Travel after rad/chemo BOT cancer treatment
My husbsnd starts Radiation/chemo treatment for stage IV squamous cell BOT GPV+ cancer. He is slated for 7 weeks daily radiation plus chemotherapy. We normally spend our winters in the Dominican Republic. I would like to cancel but he is insistent that after the radiation ends that in a week or so he would be able to…
Severe Tinnitus after Erbitux and Radiation
Hi Everyone, It's about a year since I was first diagnosed with a BOT SCC, first had a tonsilectomy to confirm it was cancer and then started treatment in January 2017. I completed 35 Proton treatments and 5 rounds of Erbitux in March and had my 6 month PET/CT a little while back and everything looks really good with no…
Dumb Question
I know I have created several threads, with the last one mentioning that it would be my last thread, but I am just really confused and looking for help. As noted in previous threads, I have had multiple biopsy completed for a spot on my lip that I was concerned about. First biopsy was completed early August and just had a…
Scared
Just joined I have an ENT appointment in 2 days. I noticed a pea sized lump back middle of tongue it's maybe even smaller than that about 3mm. Swollen lymph nodes in neck started a few weeks ago. Went to 3 doctors and dentist for 5 months for what I thought wasnswollen large taste buds or thrush or infection and they gave…
FREE medical grade Aspirator Pump to patient in OKC area
Hello all. I recently completed my treatment for SCC base of tongue cancer. While going through treatment we purchased a medical grade aspirator suction machine to aid in my extremely thick mucus I was producing. Unfortunately, even though it was advertised as being able to suction thick mucus, we could tell as soon as we…
Epiglottis Issues Post Radiation Treatment
Bio: 47yr old white male, good physical health, no smoking, no drinking, diagnosed with SCC base of tongue involving one lymph node - HPV+. I finished treatment 5-6 weeks ago (35 rads and 3 large doses of chemo - no surgery). I had a pre-existing condition of trouble swallowing due to untreated GERD prior to cancer…
Is this the end? Or am I being negative? Input please.
Hi, all. I just had a few questions. My father was diagnosed in May of last year with stage four H&N, which unfortunately has metastisized to his lungs. He had relatively little disease in his lungs, but we have not done a scan in four months. I am doing research because I am aware that he is categorized as "terminal," but…
Side Effects
I was doing pretty good until Friday evening. Then the vomiting started. It wasn't time to take another pill but it wouldn't have done me any good. I ran a fever complete with chills for about twenty minutes I suspect, and the throwing up continued through the night. When I thought it was safe to take a pill I threw it up…
6 Months since LDOT (Last Day of Treatment)
It's been a rough ride, but apart from dry mouth it looks like clear sailing ahead. My oncologist says I'm NED and that is good enough for me. Finally getting energy to get out and do things although my interest in the garden has wained. What used to be a pleasure now takes an effort. I'm hoping that will change.
Fluoride Trays
I just spoke with my husband‘s dentist about fluoride trays. He said that in theory they are a good idea, but in practice they are not.He said it is not a good idea to leave fluoride on your teeth for that long. Also, since we now have fluoride in our water and toothpaste and mouth rinses it is not necessary. He suggested…
Therabite or Orastretch
Anyone have one for sale? My husband has severe trismus after 7 weeks of treatment for stage IV Tonsil cancer. Unfortunately they are over $400 retail so thought I would check here as money is a little tight at the moment.
CAT SCAN RESULTS AFTER 2 MONTHS OUT OF TREATMENT
CAT SCAN RESULTS Study Result of CT Scan Impression 1. No discrete left vallecular mass seen comment there is soft tissue fullness in the region which could represent post therapy change, but residual mass is possible. 2. Interval decrease in size of the metastatic left cervical lymph node, now measuring 1.2 cm. 3. 5 mm…
Anyone experience thrush in their esophagus??
So my husband is starting week 5 of treatment tomorrow and has just been diagnosed with thrush in his esophagus! He can get soft food and liquids down, but he says it BURNS so bad in his upper chest area. His doctor has him on Fluconazole so I am hoping that clears it all up asap. Just wondering if anyone else has…
How am I doing so far?
Hi All, my second time trying to post a thread, so hope both don't show up. I am in 4th wk of chemoradiation and looking at advice to carry me through the last 2.5. I have no ng tube and am this week drinking 5 boost/ensure + h2o per day. Meticulous mouth care, but a few small ulcerish areas controlled c 2% lidocaine spot…
Six Years Out From Stage III Base of Tongue- Hang Tough!
Six years ago this week I got a call at work from my doctor at 6pm on a Friday. I said to her "this can't be good". It wasn't. My CT scan had revealed a tumor at the base of my tongue with metastasis to my lymph node. Only a biopsy could confirm cancer, but the doctor, when pressed, felt certain that's what it would be.…
HPV related cancer made the evening news
I was watching the NBC national feed news last nite and there was a segment about all the new cases of throat cancer in men related to the HPV virus. To bad the vaccine wasn't available when were kids.
Nausea won’t quit
Hi All, well, I finished treatment two months ago and have to say I feel the after effects are far worse than the treatment. I had delayed radiation burns to my whole neck which we treated with the creams and they went away. I had the mouth and tongue sores but dealt with those and managed to maintain my weight so the…
tips for getting through cancer treatment that worked for me
When I was diagnosed back in March, I was able to connect with some different individuals who were going through the process, or had just completed treatment, ahead of me. Here are some of the suggestions that I took that might help others. Some came from the my team at Sloan Kettering, as well. I'll give some quick stats…
Audio Recording Doctors Visits
I've noticed in a few threads people mentioning that they were frequently frustrated with the fact that they often forgot crucial instructions or what was said during doctors visits because of the medications they were on or simply because of the chemo fog their brain was in. Some said this is why they tried to always…
Last Question / Advice
I apologize in advance for creating a new thread, but I wanted to write out one long post, to both vent my frustration and how scared I am and to look for advice. For starters, I have had been a user of smokeless tobacco for roughly 8 years. On and off, there would be times that I had quite, earlier this year I had quit…
Cancer Still Growing
Hi everyone, I'm new to this board but not to the cancer. I'm about to explain the road I've travelled for about four years and where I'm headed. I wanted to sort of vent to others who understand. Four years ago I had a swelling under my arm. I went to the doctor first thing the following morning. He thought it might be…
Neck dissection on Monday 9/23
Hi all, Quick recap - 29 year old and had a T1 superficial SSC on the right side of my tongue back in February. Nonsmoker, light drinker, and HPV-. Was told it was unlikely it spread to the nodes after successful surgery and negative margins. I have had a swollen lymph node for about a month now, and it is increasing in…
Cold feeling during Erbitux infusions? Anyone else experience this?
My husband had his 5th Erbitux yesterday. (SCC BOT IVa HPV+) He says he has been freezing during each of the Erbitux sessions. He feels like the cold is so intense it is painful. I got him a heated blanket to try but he says it didn't heat up fast enough to really help. Maybe the nurses could heat up the Erbitux a bit…

Head and Neck Cancer

Discussion List