Hi Ian,

"1 session of chemo (which gave me a heart attack)"

Spiffing! I'll try not to think of that on Friday when they run the platinum into me!

Some places/doctors apparently don't even use the induction Chemo, because it's the R/T that has the greatest effect. I'm guessing therefore you had straight R/T and not Chemo R/T or did they use Erbitux for you?

I think I have 30 sessions planned as part of the trial. Current betting is I'll give up after three, but as you say, I'm hoping to be strong on this one.

Thanks for your post, and all the best


John

This message has been edited. Last edited by: John Fernandez,

John, I will be thinking of you on Friday. I imagine taht the induction sessions will be the strongest doses and if you manage that part the rest will be 'relatively' easy. I am assuming if you have lots of chemo sessions most will be in relatively small doses so try not to let the induction part put you off the rest.

Simcock and Weighill didn't offer my other half the induction chemo - he only had 5 concurrent cisplatin doses with RT, I have often wondered why...

It sounds as if you are getting very thorough treatment so hang in there and if you are thinking of giving up on the chemo, do post so we can all have a good old nag :-). Chaz and I loaded up with ipod downloads of all sorts of comedy for the chemo days and used to sit cackling away in the chemo ward as we listened to Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais etc - it certainly helped to pass the time.

Best wishes,

Cathy

Hi Cathy,

I can’t remember whether I mentioned this before, but Brighton has a slightly different routine to the Marsden.

Their Induction Chemo is a three session/three drug regime (They use Taxotere as well) but still given as five days on two weeks off basis. The Marsden stick to Cisplatin and 5FU for two sessions.

Their Chemo/Radio is also different. They give you a ‘sniff’ of Cisplation every week during the six or seven week RT ordeal, whereas the Marsden give it to you in two lumps, at the start of weeks one and four. Of course the Marsden also have the IMRT. I keep wandering past their ‘sunbed’ centre, on the way to the main reception from the car park. It all looks very modern, but I’ve yet to see anyone going in or out….

They both point to various studies for the reasons for this. Clearly Dr Simcock takes a different view from Dr Newbold (my consultant at the Marsden) as regards the two approaches. I’ll bet Ian has a third story to tell about the Docs at Barts.

I have to take the view that although the BBC did a good job of training me as an engineer all those years ago it, is of no use in helping me unpick the medical science in all this. I had to assume the doctors know what they are doing and the two approaches deliver at least roughly the same chances. I therefore went for a) the least side effects and b) the least disruption to my job of looking after the kids.

Rumours of “eeny meeny miny mo” are greatly exaggerated.

Well I guess Chaz wasnt offered induction chemo for a variety of reasons which may include the fact that he had the lump in his neck removed for diagnostic purposes before treatment started and the pet scan taken imbetween the excision and start of treatment showed no evidence of cancer in his neck and quite a small primary - T1.

I will just have to hope that is the case and not expense or budgets as I would have loved him to have had the whole dam works...easy for me to say of course as I didnt have to undergo any of the horrors personally! Anyway, too late now... what's done tis done.

I am afraid one must resist the idea that science has one best answer for head and neck cancer. There are all sorts of controversies about treatments and consultants have their biases - Dr Simcock was very up front about that, but as far as your choices go I think you are definitely right - the Marsden and Brighton were both prepared to 'throw the book at you' and one treatment regime is unlikely to make much difference compared with the other.

I hope it all goes well, I am sure you are going to do great.

Best wishes,

Cathy

ps. I don't think you have told us about your peg decision, but I promise I won't tell anyone

They (Marsden) don’t insist on them [PEGS] before treatment, and as I am motivated to swallow so will resist it as long as I can. Although I am a six-footer plus, I’m actually quite chunky with a BMI of over 34, so I’m not particularly worried about the weight. I do however normally consume buckets of tea in a day (It keeps me off the beer if nothing else) so need to ensure I’m hydrated.

Others have made it, and so will I - you can always say “I told you so” if I don’t!

Wouldn't dream of it - we don't do I told you sos in this house!