1. < Head & Neck Cancer

What treatment options are available to reccurrence of H&N cancer?

Posted by ijones98280 @ijones98280, Mar 1 12:41pm

Can anyone speak to their experience with reoccurrences? THINKING that there are non-rad options that are successful, but just trying to get an idea of options. I currently don’t have a reoccurrence, but am headed in for my 6 month check next week. Thank you in advance for any experience or thoughts as this is probably a well written about subject.

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michgirv | @michgirv | Mar 7 1:05pm
In reply to @hrhwilliam "The conversation likely would not be the same. However, I am not a physician, I am..." + (show)
@hrhwilliam

The conversation likely would not be the same. However, I am not a physician, I am an engineer so I only know what I know and I know that half of those stage letters I do not know.
All I will say is we have to face these health battles or give up and likely die. We have that choice. Would I know my choice if my cancer returns? Not at this time.
I think being the caregiver is more difficult than being the patient. You have little choice out of love or simple decency. The patient however is allowed to choose and fuss and complain.
Three weeks post radiation is often the bottom before the body starts to recover. Doctors, unless they have gone through this don’t really know how all of this battle effects our body and to that end, each of us have different post issues.
Scans, especially early on don’t really tell us a lot as scar tissue often resembles cancer clusters.
Hope for the best but prepare for the worse. I or others here can likely help you though this journey.

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Thank you for your response. And yes we understand that the scans will show scar tissue, etc. I'm a retired RN (hospice) and our daughter is an oncology nurse so we see the things that this patient (in particular) doesn't or won't. He's feeling better fatigue wise, his neck is healed but the muscles have atrophied a great deal. He's always been healthy and very active. Right now we're concerned that he's going to overdo it and get hurt. This isn't a good analogy but it's the only one I can think of at the moment is after a pet has surgery and you have to keep them safe until the healing has occurred which isn't easy when they think they can do it all day 1. My daughter and I both asked him to seek a physical therapy referral to rebuild the muscle safely and his answer was no. I love this man with all my heart and have been married 45 years but he is stubborn! A good trait at times and not so much at others. I have some serious autoimmune problems which may add to my fear, I don't know. I've reached out to the Mayo oncology social worker for resources for my daughter and me that may help us keep our sanity. Currently waiting to hear back. Right now I think a vacation alone on a desert island sounds good (just kidding).

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Mentor
William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Mar 7 1:15pm
In reply to @ijones98280 "Hi William, I had my 6 month check yesterday. She indicated everything looked good. She only..." + (show)
@ijones98280

Hi William,
I had my 6 month check yesterday. She indicated everything looked good. She only completed a visual, but there were no scans, which freaks me out a little.

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The scans don't really tell us much because scar tissue internally shows up and can be confusing. Looking at one scan and then perhaps another months later can help. But likely you are fine and I'm happy for you. Don't worry, you will be just as nervous five years from now like the rest of us.
Continue to heal and enjoy life once again.

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1 reply
ijones98280 | @ijones98280 | Mar 7 2:27pm
In reply to @hrhwilliam "The scans don't really tell us much because scar tissue internally shows up and can be..." + (show)
@hrhwilliam

The scans don't really tell us much because scar tissue internally shows up and can be confusing. Looking at one scan and then perhaps another months later can help. But likely you are fine and I'm happy for you. Don't worry, you will be just as nervous five years from now like the rest of us.
Continue to heal and enjoy life once again.

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Thank you William.

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rlbaker53 | @rlbaker53 | Mar 10 12:44pm
In reply to @hrhwilliam "Hi IJones, If I recall you were staged at T1N1. Now you are coming up on..." + (show)
@hrhwilliam

Hi IJones,
If I recall you were staged at T1N1. Now you are coming up on a six month check and likely the worry and angst is keeping you on edge. I can honestly tell you I know of no one at your initial stage level who had reoccurrence within the first five years, let alone the first six months, and I have known quite a few patients. Stage 3 or 4 is an entirely different conversation.
I can also attest to knowing no patient who wasn’t on edge concerning the six-month check, years 1,2,3,4 and finally the five year check. And this is followed by the thousands of thoughts our brains try to convince us that practically every ailment, every oddity, every twinge is the reoccurrence of the cancer. For me it has been 24 years. I will let you know when that reoccurrence feeling finally goes away.
At my five year check my oncologist told me congratulations as now I was considered to have the same odds of having cancer as the general population, to which I responded “Great.” “That’s where I was when I got cancer!” Much to his dismay.
It’s normal to feel the way you do. I as well would be interested to hear of anyone who was re-radiated soon after stage 1 SCC P16+. In the meantime, would you let me know how your six-months check went and how you are doing with the overall recovery?
Good healing and of course “Courage.”

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Hi William,
I had a T1N1 oropharyngeal SCC P16+ tumor removed last April with a right neck dissection. I did not have follow-up radiation or chemo treatment. I had recurrent cancer in another lymph node on the right side of my neck in December, and had it removed last month. I have been presented by my doctor the options of adjuvant radiation or follow-up surveillance. I will be speaking with him today to hopefully get additional guidance. I am curious about your use of the term "re-radiation". Are you referring to the use of adjuvant radiation or radiation to a site that was previously radiated?

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1 reply
Mentor
William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Mar 10 8:46pm
In reply to @rlbaker53 "Hi William, I had a T1N1 oropharyngeal SCC P16+ tumor removed last April with a right..." + (show)
@rlbaker53

Hi William,
I had a T1N1 oropharyngeal SCC P16+ tumor removed last April with a right neck dissection. I did not have follow-up radiation or chemo treatment. I had recurrent cancer in another lymph node on the right side of my neck in December, and had it removed last month. I have been presented by my doctor the options of adjuvant radiation or follow-up surveillance. I will be speaking with him today to hopefully get additional guidance. I am curious about your use of the term "re-radiation". Are you referring to the use of adjuvant radiation or radiation to a site that was previously radiated?

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That depends on the patient. I know of one who was re-radiated in the same spot but to be fair, he stopped radiotherapy two weeks short the first time. Other patients have had radiotherapy a second spot near original site within a year. Those patients were the exception and ultimately did not survive long. Sometimes these cancers can’t be stopped.

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