stage 4 throat cancer

mhfield
mhfield Member Posts: 2
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

   Need some direction: I am not sure if I should try chemo and radiation for 8 weeks or just have a complete laryngectomy. Does anyone have any experience with either? I would love to hear how it went.

 

Thank You Mike

Comments

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,465 Member
    #2
    Mike Welcome

    To CSN H&N Forum. Sorry, you have to be here but you are in the right place. There are many here that can help out.

    My first cancer in 2012/2013 was throat cancer. These days they are staying away from laryngectomies if they feel radiation and chemo will take care of it. But you will probably have side effects from the treatment but it is usually better than the permanent physical alteration.

    I had pre-chemo in the hospital to shrink my tumor, 2 separate weeks in the hospital of 24 hours a day chemo.

    Once the tumor was smaller I started radiation of 35 treatment in total with chemo beginning middle and at the end. It is a tough go so prepare yourself mentally and physically no matter what treatment you decide on and trust in your care team. Here is a link to my page if you want to read my cancer journey https://csn.cancer.org/user/292575 better than filling the space here with it.

    Please tell us a little more of your story, did you have a sore throat? Is your cancer definitely stage 4? Did you have a biopsy? Did you have a CT Scan? Did you have a PET scan? Were you scoped and diagnosed by an ENT? Are you being seen and possibly treated at a major cancer center? Has your case gone before a tumor board and have they given you any recommendations? Has your team discussed the possibility of a feeding tube or port during treatment? Sorry for all the questions but they help others on the forum understand your situation and possibly offer up their treatment path and advice for you. It sounds like you are at the crossroads of deciding on treatment. All cases are different and I have read many times that they use the surgery last but it depends on your case. In the end, the final decision comes down to you that's why you need all the info you can get and a good medical team advocating for you.

    If you are leaning towards a possible laryngectomy at all please contact Bill (wmc) on here as he has had one and runs support groups and he can probably give advice as per your situation as far as getting one or not and he has told me to refer people to him and he is available to help out and here is his page just click contact user and follow the directions https://csn.cancer.org/user/218705

     

    Please post back and provide more info we are here for ya-Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

     

     

  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    #3
    Cancer of the larynx

    My husband was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in 2010.  My biggest regret is that we didn't get a second opinion before any treatment was started.  He underwent radiation and chemo first.  By the end of the first week of radiation he had no voice and couldn't swallow.  He had a feeding tube inserted before treatment started.  After treatment they did a PET scan too soon and said everything was fine.  Well it wasn't.  He started having problems with breathing and it was his radiologist who sent him to another ENT.  Found out afterwards that the tumor did not shrink at all and the PET scan was done too early after treatment.  He referred us out to a specialist in the field.  He had to have surgery to remove his larynx and we were told no spread.  Well a year later it did spread to the cervical of his esophagus once again more radition, chemo and another feeding tube.  This didn't work and the cancer spread to his lungs.  And we even had a specialist tell us that since he wasn't having any problems with the lung cancer and it was quite small no need for treatment at that point.  Well my husband had already decided no further treatment would he undergo.  He lived another almost 3 years and had a fairly good life until the last few months.

    I have always wondered if we had gotten a second opinion from a specialist and they had done surgery first would he have survived.  His cancer was squamous cell and I have also wondered that he had had 2 places on his face that was squamous if this type of cancer spread to his blood.

    Please get a second opinion from a specialist who knows about this type of cancer.   

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