CT Scan
Well I went for the CT chest scan as a follow up to the PET scan I had in April and the concern of the lower lobe of the lung is still a concern. They are scheduling a biopsy ASAP. They said if I would of had cisplatin instead of erbitux the chances of it not traveling would be better. NOW THEY TELL ME THIS! It could be metastazied it could be a new cancer or it could be an infection. Praying I won’t have to go through this again. Damn HPV and Damn Cancer.
They really didn’t give me an option. They told me the Erbitux worked better with this type of cancer along with the radiation. When they said it wouldn’t make me as sick as other chemotherapy treatments, I said okay.
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I am praying for you. I too had Erbitux. They weren’t going to give me any chemo and only radiation after the surgery. That was primarily because they had gotten all of the cancer out and were mopping up the site. Now I am a tad frightened.
Posted on PS maybe they prefer one over the other if its HPV related or not. Mine wasn’t
Posted on All medical iformation and choices should be given to us! It just makes me so mad! What were they thinking! You are in my prayers! Keep fighting
Posted on I had Cisplatin, but afyer my surgery I my lung collapsed, then months later I had asperational pnemonia, which caused “patchy opification” on the lungs. So many things involve the lungs when it is to do with any throat cancers, and yes if it metastisized it would probably go to either the lungs or brain. The good thing is thats why we have the doctors who know this and do keep a very close watch on all of this so it won’t get out of hand. The main thing is having a doctor that you trust and is very thorough I think. There is no promises but the above with my faith in God helps me to keep calm and relaxed enough to get along with my life. I am thankful that the further out OI and we are the calmer we get about these situations! Hugs Val
I agree Damn HPV & Damn Cancer. I’m sorry you may have to have further treatment. I always wondered how they decided who gets cisplatin and who gets erbitux.
Angie
Posted on I was offered Erbitux because I already had problems with some of the side effects that Cisplatin gives to people.
Posted on I hope it turns out to be minor or nothing, even just scarring from pollution or working in carpentry or similar. Cisplatin is the “Gold” standard, and more studies done on that chemo than any other, and not on Erbitux. They know that it is beneficial with radiation as the first line therapy, but not too sure after surgery, and if given alone, and assume it would I based on initial findings. There are current studies with Eribtux for metastes, and I think its combined with Ciplatin or another. It also depends on the hospital, doctor, clinical trial, patients condition, underlying medical condition and kickbacks, gifts for choosing one over another. chemos are more toxic, but all are poisin. erbitux had some drawbacks, and the rash is a myth, but does occurr, but no indication that it is working or not. The EGFR testing done for Erbitux is not done for H&N cancer at some facilities. but it is for colon rectal cancer cause 40 perecent have no response to erbitux if the EFGR K-RAS gene is mutated.
One other thing, I know a BFAC member who had the same finding on his 3 mos PET scan and it turned out to be from aspiration and chronic bronchitis. Please don’t worry just yet:)
Like Karen said, it could be nothing. I thinks its premature for the person who said that, but at least they are acting on it, without delay, instead of watch and wait. I had a spot on my lung that disaapeared, and could have been from an infection(s). This was not treatment related testing, but for bronchitis, pneomnia, lung collapse. I had taxotere, Cisplatin, and 5-FU. That killed evertything, and nearly me! I’m sure there are drugs that would kill any cancer, but at what risk to life? We go with what’s accpetable, tolerable.
I do hope and pray it is not cancer.
I was offered Erbitux because I already had problems with some of the side effects that Cisplatin gives to people. Erbitux is not a chemo. That was made clear to me when I said I thought I had ‘chemo brain’.
I still had cancer after receiving both radiation and Erbitux. That is when I had surgery.
My one doctor thought if the tonsil cancer is HPV ralated, it would not come back!
I was told Cisplatin was stronger so they could give you a lower dose then Erbitux, also it has way fewer side effects. The main side effectis hearing loss and ringing and noises in the ears. My hearing loss was minimal and because of stage 4 cancer on both sides they gave me a strong dose.The only day I threw up was the second day after maybe 4 times,I only needed 3 treatments of it where they said would need way more with the other. Like I said before the chemo was never a reral problem for me it was always the radiation that I suffered from, including the hair thinning, I never even had mouth sores that so amany suffer from. Radiation hit me very hard though, and was not allowed a CT scan until this springcause I had the most they would allow a person, that almost killed me I think. So interesting after the fact the difeences in treatment, my doctor said some oncoligists prefer one chemo over the other. I say as long as they work who cares and am just glad that all that is over.
Cisplatin is a very toxic chemo.It kills the good as well as the bad cells.In my case , the lymph nodes were encapsulated and did not have any extentions(pathology report).
The Doctors told me that it had been shown that, via research , Cispaltin did not significantly improve resolution with my Pathology then just Radiation alone.
There was a Clinical trail with Erbitux and i voluntered. I am glad i did and i hope it works out in the end.So maybe that’s why some of you received it instead of Cisplatin.
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I had Erbitux too for my HPV related tonsil cancer….I have a Pet August 6. Makes me very angry too…Why did you get Erbitux instead?