Had this great idea, today....

phrannie51
phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Yesterday, the rad-onc said they were shortening up my radiation "scope" after the next three sessions. My throat will now be out of the radiation, and they will be concentrating on my nasopharnyx. I thought..."well, could this get me out of amifostine treatment everyday???"

Asked both the oncologist and the rad-onc.........guess not :(....Darn, I was so hoping I might be done with it...LOL...can't blame me for trying, tho.

p

Comments

  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #2
    No Way
    What - you're not loving the two injections a day that can give you "interesting" side effects? Go figure. Very cool that they feel comfortable in shortening the radiation "scope", though. By concentrating on your nasopharynx, will this increase the effects in that area? Has/will your sense of smell be affected?
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #3
    Interesting...
    Haven't heard of re-direction the area before.....a little different apporach.

    I only had one injection of the Amifostine each day, just before the rads session. I'm sure you won't miss them, and hopefully, they'll be worth it too you down the road.

    I feel they were for myself anyways.....have you had any of the thick ropey phlegm, that's one thing they are supposed to help with eliminating or minimalizing as well.

    I never had that so, I presume it can be attributed to the Amifostine. And I have regained all taste and nearly all salive back. Though it did take awhile...

    JG
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
    Skiffin16 said:

    Interesting...
    Haven't heard of re-direction the area before.....a little different apporach.

    I only had one injection of the Amifostine each day, just before the rads session. I'm sure you won't miss them, and hopefully, they'll be worth it too you down the road.

    I feel they were for myself anyways.....have you had any of the thick ropey phlegm, that's one thing they are supposed to help with eliminating or minimalizing as well.

    I never had that so, I presume it can be attributed to the Amifostine. And I have regained all taste and nearly all salive back. Though it did take awhile...

    JG

    Well, maybe the ropey snot is something
    the amifostine is helping with......I have had none. My nose is stuffy, but that's the only snot problem I've had. Ok, this gives me an immediate amifotine payoff :). I don't get the "shot" per se....they hydrate me thru my port for an hour or so, have me take an Antivan, the put the shot thru the tube....I hate that feeling...kind of a rush, but not in a good way....take my BP a few times then send me off to rads.

    I'm not getting out of it, so that was pipe dream...35 amifostine to accompany my 35 rads...The NA at radiation called what they're are doing a "boost", but I don't know what that means. Just that my neck will soon be out of the rad picture. I always see the rad-onc after I've done the amifostine and the antivan, so I'm half stoned when I'm talking to him....my questions are always a week late. Next Weds I'll ask all the questions I should have asked this last Weds.

    p
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570 Member
    #5
    Hey Phrannie, amifostine is
    Hey Phrannie, amifostine is not much fun, which I know from personal experience with it, so I totally understand your hopefulness that it might be d/c'ed. I wish that the response had been different, but at least you will have a shortened radiation scope; it's the good news/bad news scenerio.

    PATRICK
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #6
    patricke said:

    Hey Phrannie, amifostine is
    Hey Phrannie, amifostine is not much fun, which I know from personal experience with it, so I totally understand your hopefulness that it might be d/c'ed. I wish that the response had been different, but at least you will have a shortened radiation scope; it's the good news/bad news scenerio.

    PATRICK

    Hmmmmm...
    Sometimes I wonder what or why I missed some stuff...

    Let me think here..........(me thinking)...................nope, I am sure of it. All I ever got was radiation and erbitux! That's it. I never got this amifostine injection, I never got the platinum chemo drugs and I sure never heard of or was told of stoppers4 or this "MU-gaurd stuff .....just keep 2nd guessing sometimes if I was just so wrapped up in trying to do well in my treatments I never heard anything they told me or what!!! LOL.

    It must be because so many of my visits I was alone at ....(not that my wife did not love me mind you) but when she came down to be with me much of the time she had the two youngest kids who are not in school (Jace Street and Raylan Dennis) and had to wait in the RV till I got back (walking distance) ...and then the other times my 13 year old daughter was on duty and you know how that is...lol...I knew not to bring her to the doc appts and rad sessions ...she was waaaay to protective over me at that time...

    Man how I wish I had utilized this board as those going through treatments have done.... :)

    Tim
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #7
    Tim6003 said:

    Hmmmmm...
    Sometimes I wonder what or why I missed some stuff...

    Let me think here..........(me thinking)...................nope, I am sure of it. All I ever got was radiation and erbitux! That's it. I never got this amifostine injection, I never got the platinum chemo drugs and I sure never heard of or was told of stoppers4 or this "MU-gaurd stuff .....just keep 2nd guessing sometimes if I was just so wrapped up in trying to do well in my treatments I never heard anything they told me or what!!! LOL.

    It must be because so many of my visits I was alone at ....(not that my wife did not love me mind you) but when she came down to be with me much of the time she had the two youngest kids who are not in school (Jace Street and Raylan Dennis) and had to wait in the RV till I got back (walking distance) ...and then the other times my 13 year old daughter was on duty and you know how that is...lol...I knew not to bring her to the doc appts and rad sessions ...she was waaaay to protective over me at that time...

    Man how I wish I had utilized this board as those going through treatments have done.... :)

    Tim

    Tim....many Oncologists don't use amifostine....
    ..thinking that 1) it's too hard on the patient, with chemo and rads going on at the same time....2) that maybe it doesn't work. It's suppose to salvage the saliva glands during rads. I talked to a physician here who went to MD Anderson in Texas for treatment, and they do not offer it.

    The MuGuard is new stuff...that's why the negotiable price on it. I think it's in the 4th clinical trial at this time. I can't remember who's Dr. on here threw the MuGuard guy out of his office :)...maybe it was Sam??...but he went to MuGuard's website and ordered it himself.

    I don't think you got short changed, just a matter of preferances and timing.

    p

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