squamous cell in throat

@jimchardy, you may have noticed that I removed your personal email address from the public post. We recommend not sharing personal contact information in the discussion forums. We don't want you getting unwanted spam. Feel free to use the private message function to share contact information securely.

@hoppy, it is gracious of you to offer to contact Jim directly by email. As an active support member in several online communities, you know first-hand the benefit of sharing in the group setting, such as Connect. If the things you have to share are not too personal, I hope you'll share them here for the benefit of many, not only today, but in the future. Thanks.

Here are a couple of links to videos of my journey with stage 4A HPV-positive head and neck cancer
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/249082252170581/permalink/346047705807368/
- https://www.nkch.org/patient-stories/steve-woods/

Hi all, I thought you might also appreciated this Video Q&A about HPV-related Tongue and Tonsil Cancer. Daniel Ma, M.D., assistant professor in radiation oncology and an expert in treating head and neck cancer, and Eric Moore, M.D., professor of head and neck surgery talk about tonsil and base of tongue cancer, human papilloma virus (HPV) and its relationship to cancers in the throat. They also discuss state of the art care and clinical trials for treatment of patients with HPV-related cancer. Drs. Ma and Moore co-direct the multidisciplinary oropharyngeal cancer clinic at Mayo Clinic.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/video-qa-about-hpv-related-tongue-and-tonsil-cancer/

This is my Doc

I have undergone radiation treatment on my left acetabulum and right humerus but not on my throat. I am anticipating the throat treatment will begin within two weeks.

No mention was made in the biopsy report of HPV, so I am not sure this is relevant. Thank you for the feed back.
Jim Hardy

It is a battle, as you know from your renal cancer, but you can get thru it. I have an friend with Stage lV renal adenocarcinoma who even had a brain met 8 years after initial surgery and he is going strong over 20 years later. His had invaded his femur and hip. He has done the immune therapy from the clinic in the Bahamas for many years, where I met him. I have stage lll non-hpv SCC of my middle ear, with 2 lung mets over the 6 1/2 year course. I recommend research into Immune supplements, especially beta glucan, to work with your medical treatment. Radiation to the throat is brutal, often needing a feeding tube to get thru, but you are strong and you can do it. I had a targeted EGFR chemo during my 35 radiation treatments and so far no recurrence at the site on my skull. HPV associated SCC is more receptive to treatment, but accumulate your own information thru research and make your decisions with doctor's advice.

Thank you very much for your encouraging words and information. It is extremely heartening to hear of such success stories and gives me here-to-for unprecedented hope for long lasting survival. The only immune system treatment my oncologist is using is Opdivo, for whose success I am very anticipatory.

Just visited with my radiation oncologist and I am leaning toward a seven week treatment that requires one 15 minute treatment, five days per week. Considerable soreness in the throat is one of the more severe side effects, but it should abate shortly after treatment ends. This option is a cure for the cancer. The other option is less severe in side effects but would likely allow the cancer to return and be fatal if it does.

This is the exact treatment I had with the addition of two mega doses of Cisplatin.

I won’t lie it’s a very hard treatment but very doable and I believe in you as all of us that have gone through the treatment.

You will lose your taste buds but they will return. Maintaining weight is very important so don’t be opposed to a feeding tube if it is suggested.

Also utilize the dietician,speech therapist and fatigue management therapist.

You can do this we are all behind you.

After your battle you will be a mentor to millions.