Questions about strange happenings

Jamie_Ann
Jamie_Ann Member Posts: 35
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I've completed 1 chemo and 8 rads of my 7 week course (3 rounds cisplatin/35 rads) and so far I think I'm doing well. However, I had a strange thing happen and I'm hoping someone else has experienced something similar???

I have bilateral metastasis to the neck nodes. Two nodes in particular (one on each side) are larger. The one on the right was measuring in at 3.2 cm before treatment and I'm not positive about the measurement of the one on the left, it's smaller than the right but large enough to feel.

Last weekend (5 days post chemo and after 2 rads) both sides of my neck swelled up horribly. The lymph nodes dramatically increased, soft tissue swelling, and lots of soreness (not pain necessarily, but really uncomfortable if you touched it at all). I saw my rad oncologist last Monday and she called it an "early positive response". Not really sure what that meant/means.

Since then, the soft tissue swelling has diminished and I no longer have the soreness. However, both lymph nodes have remained increased in size. Today when I ask the rad onc about it, she just said that she isn't sure why they are reacting in this manner and they will keep an eye on it. Any one have any experience with this??? I'm kind of nervous about it and just need some reassurance that this isn't a bad thing.

Jamie

Comments

  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #2
    Lymph nodes swell
    in response to dead cells - I've read some other posts where folks had the affected nodes swell when the radiation started killing them.

    Out of curiosity, what were you taking for nausea before/after chemo?
  • Jamie_Ann
    Jamie_Ann Member Posts: 35
    #3
    DrMary said:

    Lymph nodes swell
    in response to dead cells - I've read some other posts where folks had the affected nodes swell when the radiation started killing them.

    Out of curiosity, what were you taking for nausea before/after chemo?

    Anti-nausea meds...
    Given as pre-meds on chemo day: Aloxi (a 5-day anti-nausea), Emend, and Zantac (to decrease stomach acid) along with Dexamethasone (the steroid).

    For after chemo: Zofran (8 mg) and Compazine (10 mg) along with, of course, the steroids for days 2, 3, and 4.

    Thank you for the response. I've had a pretty positive attitude about this since the beginning but this has allowed a little bit of fear and doubt to creep in today. *sigh*
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #4
    Similar
    I had a slighly different protocul....

    STG III SCC HPV+ Tonsils and one affected lymphnode on the same side.

    Nine weeks (three week cycles) Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, followed with seven weeks of weekly Carboplatin and 35 daily rads.

    Tonsils were taken out and started chemo a few weeks after that.

    After the first chemo session and a few days later, the lymphnode was visibly swollen and sore. They weren't sure, but I was prescribed Levaquin...swelling went down and never returned.

    Between the nine weeks and before starting the seven weeks, tumor dissolved and was confirmed gone by a CT scan...


    Best,
    John
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #5
    Skiffin16 said:

    Similar
    I had a slighly different protocul....

    STG III SCC HPV+ Tonsils and one affected lymphnode on the same side.

    Nine weeks (three week cycles) Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, followed with seven weeks of weekly Carboplatin and 35 daily rads.

    Tonsils were taken out and started chemo a few weeks after that.

    After the first chemo session and a few days later, the lymphnode was visibly swollen and sore. They weren't sure, but I was prescribed Levaquin...swelling went down and never returned.

    Between the nine weeks and before starting the seven weeks, tumor dissolved and was confirmed gone by a CT scan...


    Best,
    John

    Dexamethasone
    I asked the anti-nausea drug question because I wondered if the swelling did coincide with the drug - it sounds like it was suppressing swelling during those first 4 days or so. That might have caused the swelling to seem sudden, rather than slowly building up.

    Just a theory. It's a very powerful anti-inflammatory as well as a "oldie-but-goodie" antinausea, which is why they don't like you taking it long-term during chemo - it hides the symptoms of infection also.

    Hope you are feeling better now.
  • Jamie_Ann
    Jamie_Ann Member Posts: 35
    #6
    DrMary said:

    Dexamethasone
    I asked the anti-nausea drug question because I wondered if the swelling did coincide with the drug - it sounds like it was suppressing swelling during those first 4 days or so. That might have caused the swelling to seem sudden, rather than slowly building up.

    Just a theory. It's a very powerful anti-inflammatory as well as a "oldie-but-goodie" antinausea, which is why they don't like you taking it long-term during chemo - it hides the symptoms of infection also.

    Hope you are feeling better now.

    Thank you
    That makes a lot of sense! My rad oncologist came to see me after my radiation today to look at my neck again. She said she just wanted to check to see if the swelling was starting to subside. She believes it may be a little smaller today than when she felt it yesterday so I'll take that as being positive news!! But she did also say she will be curious to see what happens after my next chemo (a week from today) so I wonder if this is what she is thinking happened as well????

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