We are in the final stages of appointments to prepare for treatment. Kevin had another CT scan today of his abdomen and stomach. This is necessary for the PEG (feeding) tube. The biggest hold up is the dentist visit for panoramic X-rays to ensure he doesn’t have any dental issues that will be made worse by the radiation. Appt is the 11th, so we know we can’t start till after that. We meet with the radiologist on Wednesday this week.
It has sunk in. Kevin has cancer. Now we prepare to fight.
Only I am having severe anxiety and doubts about the treatment plan. The radiologist in Sac, Dr. Nguyen explained that the HPV caused throat cancer respond “exceptionally well” to radiation. She used the words, “melts away this kind of cancer,” compared to the smoking caused throat cancer. I asked her the difference in treatment between the two cancers. She told us they do not have a separate treatment plan as they don’t have enough data and do not know the margin yet. Studies are in process but the only thing they can do is use the same treatment plan they have used for traditional throat cancer for the last 60 years. 7 weeks radiation and 3 chemo treatments. She acknowledged this is an aggressive treatment that they know is more than enough to eliminate this cancer. At the time, we left feeling this is our only option. We weren’t given choice on treatment. Told surgery was not recommended because of the soft palette, and so this was the only treatment.
The more I thought about the fact that they do not know how much, the more I am bothered. They will not do any scans until 10 weeks after completing their recommended treatment of radiation and chemo.
What if the cancer is shrunk in the first half of treatment. What happens to the excess radiation if the cancer is gone? I do know that week 4-5 of treatment seems to be the mark everyone starts to have the harshest side effects.
Then I did my research. Don’t doctors hate internet research patients? Well, this is my husband life. This is his future. His quality of life afterwards is important. If there is better methods, I want them for my husband.
Here is the article I found this morning:
Cimoli Strong 