Connect
← Return to Husband diagnosed with tonsil cancer: looking for tips and support
Discussion
Husband diagnosed with tonsil cancer: looking for tips and support
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Apr 4 11:41am | Replies (174)Comment receiving replies
Hello joy345. You are in the right group. Squamous cell carcinoma is a rather rare diagnosis for most doctors and treatment by most oncologist generally speaking. Even though we often hear of cancers, SCC is not usually mentioned. That being said, it is probably the first time your doctor(s) are dealing with this and that would be a good question to ask them.
We often seek out cancer doctors/surgeons well versed in the treatment of SSC, which means either a cancer treatment hospital, or a big city or university hospital or clinics such as Cleveland or Mayo in the USA. Birmingham hospital in the UK is another one. Not sure where you live.
Your husband is depressed and that of course is to be expected. This is not something anticipated in life and not a battle of his choosing he has to fight. Perhaps you could encourage him to read some of posts in this group as I am sure you are aware of the many discussions of tonsil cancer here.
Surgery is common and normal for SSC on the tonsil except in the case of small tumors where a biopsy has been performed and it has been determined that the cancer is HPV related. In those cases lately the cancer has been treated with a now common drug and radiation only. So there are options.
So please now, find out your doctor’s experience with this cancer and if as I suspect it is lacking, find out where your husband can go for treatment. Radiation therapy can be done mostly locally but the surgery (if needed) must be done somewhere with experience. It is paramount for you and your husband to take the reins in this pursuit.
Can you please keep me informed so I or others here can help you both get through this? Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
Replies to "Hello joy345. You are in the right group. Squamous cell carcinoma is a rather rare diagnosis..."
Connect
Thank you for your comments. Can you share what the common drug being used you referred to? My 70 year old husband was only offered Cisplatin and when we questioned if there was another drug the Oncologist said no. It is most likely because Cisplatin is the only SOC at our Canadian Cancer Clinic. Looking back, I wish he had been more persistent in alternate drug therapy. When I questioned if the decision to decline the Cisplatin offered was sound, because we were told by the ENT surgeon that we only get one shot at treatment, he shut me down and said it was my husband who had the final decision. My opinion did not count and my concerns were not heard. It would be nice to know what the most current treatment is at the bigger centres. When the biopsy comes back with HPV positive, the outcomes are better. In our case, at 70, the 35 rounds of radiation was his only treatment, due to the risks associated with Cisplatin at his age. It is not that the drug is not good, but the side effects for an older individual is something to discuss with your Oncologist. Robotic surgery also was not offered. At times, we both felt like we needed to push harder for treatment. We are not through this yet, as his first PET scan 3 months post treatment still showed some activity. He is scheduled for a second PET scan which will be 6 months post treatment. We are Canadians who are faced with a crumbling health care system. You are so right. It is paramount for one to take the reins of this pursuit. My husband is a passive patient, and for me it has been a difficult journey. I would have pushed harder if it had been me, and it has created a strain on our relationship for reasons I won’t go into here. A cancer diagnosis is a huge test in all areas from the first steps taken. Keep a journal, do your research and please encourage the patient to get the best treatment available. The brilliant research and the treatments coming should be available for everyone.