Chemo for life?
My wife is in her sixth year fighting cancer that spread from the back of her throat to nearby lymph nodes to nearby behind her ear canal. The multiple tumors have been defeated one at a time with radiation, chemo, and multiple immunotherapies (many in trials). Now the cancer is dormant but she continues to get weekly chemo/bio (Taxol/Erbitux) to keep it away (plus Granix shots). Is it too risky to stop? Is this due to the approved options, not allowing anything else? Should I take her back to M D Anderson or Seattle Cancer Care for a second opinion? What is your opinion? Thanks...
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Head and Neck Cancers group.
Hi Kevin...I\'m sure that the six-year journey has been very tough on the both of you and, although most of us are not practicing clinicians here on this board, we can empathize and offer our experience and hope. To answer your question about continuing treatment, it would be important to know the goal of the tx and what your wife\'s current health care provider judges might happen if she stops the tx. As for getting a second opinion, I would think that that might be a good idea and could help you both decide what your best next steps should be. If her cancer is active enough to require treatment, would she, perhaps, be eligible for another trial? These are questions that you really should discuss with a clinician whose opinion you trust and value. I am aware of a clinical trial that is currently recruiting, but it has verty specific eligibility requirements, just as they all do. It might be worth being aware of it, though, as well as exploring others. Here\'s a link to the one I know of: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Iovance&recrs=ab&cond=Head+and+Neck+Cancer.
Good luck to both of you...and hang in there!
Marin
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionKevin,
I agree with Marin. A second opinion before they say they\'re stopping treatment because it\'s not helping enough is a good idea. You can try telling your current doctor that and see if anything different could be given by him. Definitely check on clinical trials, too.
Carol
The rind has been stable (no growth) for more than 6 months now (slowly shrinking).