Hello. Found out in june tonsil cancer stage 2. Lymphnodes all left side effected head/ neck oncology.
chemo starts on july 21st. Again in August and the last sessions september. Three sessions.
Radiotherapy daily for 7 weeks.
first time in this position.
chemo is the one part of this that im uncomfortable with. Can radiotherapy alone beat this cancer?.
maybe finding holistic to work alongside?.
i am concerned on the long term effects of chemo.
Dear Balmoral,
Thanks for getting in touch with us and welcome to our online community. I hope you find it a helpful and supportive way to communicate with others. My name is Joanne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialist’s on the Macmillan Support Line.
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis of stage 2 tonsil cancer and that the lymph nodes on the left side of your neck are also affected. It’s good that you have a clear treatment plan but it’s common to have questions or concerns.
It’s not uncommon for people to feel unsure about chemotherapy as it can feel quite daunting when you look at the potential side effects. For this reason, it’s important that you understand why chemotherapy is being offered alongside radiotherapy (chemoradiation). In general terms the chemotherapy enhances the radiotherapy effect and may reduce the risk of the cancer returning in the future. You may want to consider having another conversation with your oncology team to discuss what the long-term benefit of chemoradiation is for you as an individual.
Many people consider or use complimentary therapies alongside or after conventional cancer treatments. They can help with psychological wellbeing and sometimes physical side effects. We would always recommend you let your specialist team know which complimentary therapy you are considering as occasionally they can interact with treatment. You should also inform your therapist about your diagnosis and treatment.
You mention you are concerned about long term side effects of chemotherapy; I wonder if you might benefit from giving our support line a call. We often find we can explain our answers in a bit more detail over the phone, giving you the opportunity to ask more questions if needed. It can be overwhelming not knowing how things might affect you moving forward. And although we can’t tell you exactly what to expect, we can help explain what usually happens for most people in a similar situation.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please feel free to get back in touch.
Best wishes
Joanne, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref/ JF/LRob
