Artery Rupture

Not Common
I don't believe it's common and I believe it also has something to do with the type of cancer...not positive.

There was a fellow (debbieg5's husband - Ken)on here a few months ago that passed away with the same thing.

It's not something to be consumed with, there's potential for a lot of things to happen...best one is being cured and not having anything other than a longer life than you would have if you decided on no treatment.

BTW, I don't think either the Ken, nor Nicole were doing fine...I think they were both unfortunately having some related issues with the disease.

The other's that were on that post (debbieg5), mentioned neck breather's (those with stoma), not sure of all of the specifics.

Best,
John

jim and i said:

artery
Thanks John for the positive thoughts. It is getting close to treatment end and I guess I am getting jumpy. Seems like Jim has had so many setbacks I didn't want to hear about something else thst was so final.

Deep Breath....That's better.

5 more Rads and 1 more Erbetox to go!!

Debbie

WooHoo
Getting near the end.....

It won't be long until he starts feeling better....always a little room for depression in there because you tend to think as soon as you're finished you should start immediately feeling better.

It doesn't work that way as you are still cooking from the rads and the toll the chemo has taken on the body.

So get him a lot of rest and slooooowly he'll start feeling better, eating a little more and getting settled into his new normal.

Best,
John

Probably too much information...
It is called "carotid blow-out" and some sources cite it as one of the potential side effects of certain types of treatment for head-neck cancer, including radical neck dissection where the cancer has spread outside of the nodes, and where the cancer has wrapped itself around the carotid artery and has been surgically dissected away from the artery.

In my approximately 1 1/2 year experience here, perhaps three or four folks who posted have had immediate experience with loss of a family member to this side effect.

I would guess that most doctors would prefer not to describe this very rare potential side effect with their patients. It's hard enough to deal with the other aspects of this disease and treatment.

Deb

My Bad
Very sorry for the freak-out. The way I see it, it's not something to spend much thought on. Can't recall where I saw the blow out mentioned besides here, but I do recall it was cited as a rare occurrance. I do know that my rad doc has never had a patient that went through it, and he's not a youngin. Again, apologies for adding to the stress bucket.

staceya said:

any testing to determine your risk?
This is one article about surgery. But I don't see any about getting ultrasounds or ?? to check risk.. I have trouble with putting links here, below are 2 options to try.

Article on prevention of carotid blow out

Sternocleidomastoid muscle interposition to prevent carotid artery blowout.
Pathak KA, Viallet NR, Nason RW.
Source

Department of Surgery, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. alok.pathak@cancercare.mb.ca

Carotid Artery Blowout
Here's the link;

Sternocleidomastoid muscle interposition to prevent carotid artery blowout

JG

Skiffin16 said:

Carotid Artery Blowout
Here's the link;

Sternocleidomastoid muscle interposition to prevent carotid artery blowout

JG

Linking help...
OK..you are going to have to show me how to do the linking....

D Lewis said:

Probably too much information...
It is called "carotid blow-out" and some sources cite it as one of the potential side effects of certain types of treatment for head-neck cancer, including radical neck dissection where the cancer has spread outside of the nodes, and where the cancer has wrapped itself around the carotid artery and has been surgically dissected away from the artery.

In my approximately 1 1/2 year experience here, perhaps three or four folks who posted have had immediate experience with loss of a family member to this side effect.

I would guess that most doctors would prefer not to describe this very rare potential side effect with their patients. It's hard enough to deal with the other aspects of this disease and treatment.

Deb

Deb
That is one case, the other is where the cancer eats the artery. As long as treatment is working, and a radical neck dissection wasn't done, this is not something you have to worry about.

My husband had both the surgery to remove the tumor wrapped around his artery during his laryngectomy and dissection, and when the cancer returned it ate through his artery and he bled out. But I can assure you that this does not happen with any regularity. It's one of the side affects listed waaaaaay at the bottom of the list as things to worry about, and from what I have read from your responses in this thread, you have nothing to worry about with this.

Deep breath. It's all good

Loves and Hugs,
April

D Lewis said:

Probably too much information...
It is called "carotid blow-out" and some sources cite it as one of the potential side effects of certain types of treatment for head-neck cancer, including radical neck dissection where the cancer has spread outside of the nodes, and where the cancer has wrapped itself around the carotid artery and has been surgically dissected away from the artery.

In my approximately 1 1/2 year experience here, perhaps three or four folks who posted have had immediate experience with loss of a family member to this side effect.

I would guess that most doctors would prefer not to describe this very rare potential side effect with their patients. It's hard enough to deal with the other aspects of this disease and treatment.

Deb

Deb
^%#%#!!!! - triple - my bad

jim and i said:

From reading these articles
From reading these articles and research I am less worried. It seems that this is mostly a side effect of neck disection, which Jim did not have.

Debbie

Hi Debbie
When I first heard about this I too was very concerned being I had radiation twice to the same area and on the neck. But after doing some research and asking my heart doctor about it I too realize there was a one and a million chance of it happening, just wish it was so for others.

God bless
Hondo