Searching For Answers

CarolJay

(xx)

Duggie88

Carol

Sorry to hear about your uncle. Maybe print out some of the posts on this site that talk about beating cancer may help. Sometimes education will result in someone grabbing the steering wheel and turning down another road. Talk to his doctor who may have some suggestions. Gang up on him, the more family members busting his chops the better. I know you feel helpless in this situation. Maybe others have suggestions.

      Jeff

 

Tonita

I'm so sorry for your uncle

I'm so sorry for your uncle and his wife.  How old is he?  What prompted him to get a diagnosis in the first place?  What treatment was suggested to him?

Noellesmom

Too few facts

How old is your uncle and what is his general health?

If a biopsy has been done, is this tumor HPV based?  Odds for survival are dependent on that.

Throat cancer is a broad diagnosis.  Different parts of the throat require different treatments and have different prognoses.  Exactly where is the tumor?  What stage?

Are the doctor's recommending surgery?

Once you know these things and feel your uncle knows all his options, the ultimate informed decision is his to make.  Don't think he is the only one to choose no treatment.  What you see on this board is people who embraced the chance to live but most have been through their own form of hell on earth.

Finally, please know that no one can say how your uncle will die or if he will die of this cancer.  Potential scenarios are just that.

The seasoned warriors on this website will check in with their knowledge.

 

wmc

Carol you have questions as we do.

Carol you have concerns about your Uncle and more even for your Aunt. You said throat cancer and going into the windpipe, which sounds like it is throat and not bace of tounge. I really would like more information so I can give better answers. I had throat cancer. Mine was just above my vocal cords called the supraglottic and pressing on my left vocal cord. If you have any more information it would really help. Age, Have they said the size of tumor, where it is above the vocal cords or just below, Has his voice changed like it is hoarse, has he coughtd up blood yet. Does he have COPD or just hasn't been told that yet. My guess is at least some emphysema. With this added information we all could answer so much better.

You asked very direct questions, and I will give very direct answers, so please understand and forgive me as I do not want to say this just to scare you and not his wife. These answers are for only not having treatment: What kind of death can you expect? Most likely slow and very painful and very hard to watch. Sorry I can't do this to you, as it is very graphic and bad. With even any more answere you can supply I can answer more. If you look on the side and click on my name it will take you to my page that has some of what I went through. Then go to my Expressions and see more.

Let me answer this way; I to was a smoker for 42 years and my lungs are bad sever COPD. My tumor was about the size of a large grap or the first didget of your thumb, 3cm x 2.5cm. I was given only two options. To remove my larynx [voice box] so I could servive the surgery because of my lungs, or there was nothing they could do, and I would die. I would not survive radiation.I was coughing up lagre amounts 2 onces, and my son turned pale when he saw it. Not many thought I would live. I chose to live and had the surgery, and was cut from ear to ear and they took my larnyx and did whas is called a neck dissection on both sides, where they removed a total of 86 lymph glands as a precaution. I cak still talk with my own voice just sound a little hoarse, they put in a prosthesis which is just a oneway valve so I can talk. They seperated my airway from my throat. Meaning if it goes in my mouth it can only go to my stomach. All my air go in the hole in my neck. It is really better than it sounds. I am two and a half years cancer free, and can do just about anything, just can't go swimming because all the air or watter goes in my neck. 

Depending what options for treatment he has been given, will depend on the treatment. I do alwasy recomend to never go to local doctors or hospitals. Only go to the major ones who do this all the time. We can give you a link to them and find one that is the best and close by. The treatment for Head & Neck cancer is said to be the 2nd worse you can go through, but survival is very good. Now his survival will depend on stopping smoking, and it only can happen, if he really wants to stop. I smoked and tried to quit many times with no luck, because I really didn't want to quit. I was told if I continue to smoke there is a 90% chance it will come back and less than 25% if I quit. The night before I met with all my doctors at Stanford Medical, I quit that night 8/28/2013 at 8:00pm, and never had another cigarette or desire and I can be setting with smokers and I never want one. I am a Cancer Survivor, and the reason I stay on this site is by me, and all the others that chose to stay have been able to help and give hope and comfort to the new ones that need to be here just so they know they are not alone and they can beat it. I also suppory Laryngectomee on another site and have helpped many deal with what they go through. 

If your Uncle would like to talk to someone but not as a post where others can see he can send a message on here, or he can Have my e-mail and If I can answer his concerns I will be glad to. I will keep you  in my thoughts and prayers.

Bill