My father(age 57) has a Carcinoma right hypopharynx(Stage 2).1 months back he was not able to swallow food and drink water even.Blood was coming in the cough(which was also continous). Doctor prescribed 2-3 chemotheraphy cycle. After taking 1st cycle of chemo , he was able to eat food as a normal person. Cough has also decreased to negligible with no blood at all.
He has undergone the 2nd cylce of chemotherapy.
The swelling which was there before the first chemo is now not seen at all.
Now doctor has prescribed 5 week of radiotherapy(5 days in a week) and a chemo injection.
Could you tell me whether treatment procedure is ok and whether it can be cured 100%.What is the life span after this treatment.
Thank You in advance

Naresh,

I had cancer of the Tonsil. I had a tonsillectomy and a biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis of cancer. After the surgery I had a four week course of Radiotherapy, with two concurrent sessions of Chemotherapy. So the treatment he is recieving looks fairly standard.

After the treatment they will monitor your father regularly, probably monthly for the first year or two, and then less frequently. The doctors don't consider it to be a cure until five years have passed, without any sign of recurrence.

I found the cancer research site very useful for research into the disease, and the treatments, so you might want to check out that site. The statistics they give for throat cancer are very general, as its quite rare and not many statistics have been collected. However if your fathers cancer is stage 2 then it has been found quite early, and this improves the chances of a successful cure dramatically.

The treatment your father is going to have will be very draining, so he'll really appreciate your support. There are lots of people on this forum, who have had lots of different experinces. They will be able to offer you help and advice as his treatment rogresses, so bdo keep us all informed.

Thanks Jenni for reply.
My father had the CT Scan today and i am pasting the report if anyone could go through and see whether the report is ok.

Plain contras(non-ionic) enhanced CT scan of face and neck done by taking thin collimated 5 mms axial spiral sections

CT REPORT:

There is a heterogeneously enhancing soft tissue mass in the right parapharyngeal and right hypopharyngeal and laryngeal region.
The mass is indenting and distorting the adjacent air column with obliteration of right pyriform sinus Soft tissue is seen extending to the extra laryngeal soft tissue with erosion hyoid and thyroid cartilage on the right side. There is thickening of right vocal cord. Fat plane between the mass and right cartoid artery is indistinct at places.

Increased soft tissue is seen in the right cheek with soft tissue density in right maxillary sinus. The parotid and sub-mandibular glands are unremarkable.

There are few small (sub-centimeter) lymphnodes at level III on either sides.

Strap muscles of the neck are normal.

Impressions :
Large right hypopharyngeal and laryngeal mass involving the pyriform sinus with extension as described above.
No significant cervical lymphadenopathy.


Doctor has prescribed one more chemotherapy cycle and after that depending on the CT scan they will go for the radiotherapy.

Hello Naresh

Please ask your father's radiologist to explain the significance of the report and the oncologist about prognosis as they are the ones who know most about your father's treatment.

Most members of this online support group are either cancer survivors or carers, and so will be more than happy to give experience based advice and support but we are unable to give medical advice.

Best wishes
Vinod

Hi,
My dad is 74 years old and has 60 yrs of smoking history. Recently(May 2008), he complained about not swallowing food comfortably, so we approached a doctor and she suggested to take eusophagram which revealed that there is a polypoid mass in his throat which is obstructing the inflow of food and it is leading to Silent Aspiration. So we had to do further tests and one doc said that it could be cancer at 3rd stage, and his voice will be totally gone if surgery is done to remove the mass.
What should I expect and what is the lifespan after this surgery and what could be the alternate to replace his voice? I need Help.


Thanks,
Kiran

Good Morning Kiran,
A few weeks before his 68th birthday my dad had a laryngectomy to remove a throat cancer, and lost his voice. He (and the rest of us) found this frustrating for a while until he got the hang of a new form of speech which can only be described as a controlled belch. Having mastered this he went on to live a good life until he was 79 when he went to bed one night and did not waken in the morning, this was heart trouble and nothing to do with the cancer.
There are electronic gadgets which help, the voice sounds like a dalek but who cares if it makes communication possible. The speech therapist will explain the alternatives.
Your dad will need a lot of love and support at first. Being diagnosed with cancer is like being struck by lightening, you feel that your life as you have known it has come to an abrupt end but it hasn't, things are different but it does not take too long to realise that most of the good things remain. At this point you pick yourself up and get on with living.
This website is frequented by patients and carers who know just what you are going through and we are only too happy to help in any way we can.
67 is not a lucky age in my family, I was diagnosed with mouth cancer just before my 68th birthday.
Keep Smiling
John

Good Morning John,
Thanks for information. I feel a lot better.
I wish you a speedy recovery.

Thanks and best wishes,
Kiran

hi naresh, i am in noida, india. where are you and your father?