Most common side effects of Erbitux and Radiation Therapy - NEWLY Diagnosed -

mehrdad357

Hello I have recently been diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of base of tongue HPV positive stage 4 b.

I'll be seeing my oncologist for the 2nd time on Monday. He has told me he'll treat me with Erbitux and 30 

sessions of radiation therapy (6 continuous weeks, Mon thru Fri). 

I read about side effects of erbitux and radiation therapy and there was a lot of side effects on both.

If someone can tell me which are the most common side effects, I will greatly appreciate it, because there are a lot.

I have copied and pasted all the side effects on Erbitux and Rad therapy of head & neck from ACS website. Here we go:

 

  1) ERBITUX

Cetuximab may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: 

acne-like rash

dry or cracking skin

itching

swelling, pain, or changes in the fingernails or toenails 

red, watery, or itchy eye(s)

red or swollen eyelid(s)

pain or burning sensation in eye(s)

sensitivity of eyes to light

hair loss

increased hair growth on head, face, eyelashes, or chest

chapped lips

headache

tiredness

weakness

confusion

numbness, tingling, pain, or burning in arms or legs

dry mouth

sores on lips, mouth, or throat

sore throat

vomiting

change in ability to taste food

loss of appetite

weight loss

constipation

diarrhea

heartburn

joint pain

bone pain

pain, redness, or swelling at the place the medication was injected

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately: 

coughing up blood or dry cough

shortness of breath, chest pain or unusual tiredness during exercise

decreased urination

loss of vision 

blistering, peeling, or shedding skin 

red, swollen, or infected skin

 

   Radiation Therapy of head & Neck:

Side effects from radiation therapy to the head and neck

People who get radiation to the head and neck might have side effects such as:

Soreness (or even open sores) in the mouth or throat 

Dry mouth 

Trouble swallowing 

Changes in taste 

Nausea 

Earaches 

Tooth decay 

Swelling in the gums, throat, or neck 

Hair loss 

Changes in skin texture 

Jaw stiffness

 

 

      Thanks a lot for your help

 

CivilMatt

welcome. you most likely won't get them all, I did not.

mehrdad357,

Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you are here, but what a way to spend your weekend.

I was stage IVa, scc, bot, I lymph node, hpv+ (surgery, rads & Erbitux).  I had the first loading dose and 7 weekly doses of Erbitux.  I got the acne over my torso and face, the hair on my eyebrows, eyelashes and belly grew, my fingers cracked and I lost one big toenail.  For radiation I had sore throat, mouth and tongue, dry mouth, no saliva, no taste, bad taste, terrible mouth feel, sleepiness (tired), weight loss, coughing, spitting, hacking, to name the high points.

Side effects sound bad, but generally come one at a time and are manageable.  Always keep your team informed of changes, drink lots of water and swallow often, stay hydrated and well nourished.

It is an intense 2 months, but runs its course and hopefully leads to a good “new normal”.  My current condition is good, I eat and enjoy everything I want to, I still drink lots of water (out of necessity) and still find improvements at 4.5. years post.

Matt

armana

side effects of radiation
Mehrdad,

I am sorry to welcome you to our exclusive club, however, this is a good place for information and support from other club members. I was diagnosed with

stage 3 tonsil cancer positive for the HPV in August of 2014. They removed the Tonsil on Sept 10 2014 followed by 6 1/2 weeks of IMRT on both sides of the neck which ended on November of 2014. I can't comment on the side effects of Erbitux, but experienced most of the side effects of radiation you mentioned except for nausea. I used magic mouth wash to deal with sore gums and mouth during RT. I could not deal with the side effects of opioid based drugs prescribed by my medical team and used medical marijuana to help with radiation fatigue and that worked very well. I followed the directions on the following web site on how to take care of my teeth and I have not had any issues with my gums or teeth so far.” http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/Topics/CancerTreatment/OralComplicationsCancerOral.htm" The only side effects I currently have is dry mouth but it has much improved in the past two years. I use sugar free gum to deal with dry mouth and it is very helpful. Feel free to send me a private message if you need to talk. Good luck to you and please keep us posted.

Arman

phrannie51

mehrdad357....Matt pretty well covered

the side effects of Erbitux (Cetuximab)....others here had it instead of Cisplatin and will probably chime in.

The two side effects of radiation that everybody seems to get are dry mouth (that is bone dry....dry enough to knock on doors with your tongue in the morning)....and loss of taste.  These two things do return....sometimes quickly, sometimes it takes longer...things you used to like, you may not like any longer (that seems to be a healthy change for many of us with sweet tooths). 

I think a number of us lost one to two inches of hair at the nape of our necks from the rads....mine grew back in....many of the men lost their beards (and probably some women did to, but just didn't report it ).  Skin texture changes during rads, but returns when they are done. 

Just stick close to this board....all questions are answered to the best of our ability. 

And welcome to the club nobody wants to join.

p

jeanbrew

Thank you for your difficult reliving of your symptoms. We just started the boost Erbitux and it kicked his butt. Not looking forward to the next bits!