Info please

No, always surgery will be the first step, once they get clear margins they will do chemo radio combination

No, always surgery will be the first step, once they get clear margins they will do chemo radio combination

I can't help with what they will do but you should try and wait till after the meeting, it is very hard but also to worry about something that might not happen will not help you. I think you will get the next appointment when the can all get together as they are all overworked and the operations are long so they have to find a spot. All I can say is you will be sorted as soon as they can and to try and get ahead of the experts is impossible as every treatment is worked out on your husband and how bad the tumor is. Easy to say but just try and go with the flow it will usually happen quite fast when they work out what to do.

As for the Gall Bladder I would look for a forum on here that deals with that part of the body and I would think it will add to them deciding what they should do and I can't see that your Head and Neck consultant having much to do with that side of it other than to have to work out what they have to do between them, I would also think they need to find out which to sort first so it makes it much harder.

I am not any way qualified to help you just putting my thoughts your way and know that in my case the thing moved very fast from me going to my GP to having the operation, the hardest part was telling others and the one week delay in my operation.

Be assured that any cancer will not grow out of control in a few weeks. The MDT meeting will convene properly once all the data is in. It’s hard waiting but you have to trust your clinicians. I didn’t have any surgery as I had no lymph node spread but I had radiotherapy for my base of tongue cancer. It took weeks of planning. They have to get the algorithms to deliver the right dose. 

Echoing the above lulabelle getting the right treatment is more important than getting quick treatment. As the cancer has metastasised to at least one lymph node they'll probably have to do a neck dissection to remove more than just the one in case the spread has gone further, in my case it was found in four or five altogether, you can read more on the operation here, as you can see there are different lengths that they'll go to. 

Any radio/chemo will be delayed until he's recovered from the surgery; in my case the surgery was done on Nov 28th and the radio/chemo started on Jan 13th, use the time in between to fatten him up if possible. Weight loss during treatment is pretty much inevitable and undesirable so he's best off heading in carrying plenty.

Hi Lulabelle. Well said everyone. Love Mike’s “the right treatment is more important than quick treatment”. One surgeon/Oncologist might make a quick decision on their own, but the point about an MDT is that several Health Professionals who specialise in Head & Neck Cancer discuss your husband’s case carefully and come to a considered decision based on all the information - great. But of course it takes time and the waiting is horrific. So thoughts with you both as you wait to hear. HOwever, don’t assume there will be Surgery then radio/chemo.There are so many possible treatments depending on your husband’s particular case. Many people have chemoradio as their only treatment - it works really well for some cancers. This keeps Surgery in reserve just in case..... And some people have a round of chemo before anything else - it’s impossible for us to predict what his treatment may be. Just keep yourselves busy and you will get all the info you need.

Regarding the gallbladder thing - scans can throw up things that are not cancer, but look odd/suspicious. So don’t assume the worst. Many of us have had areas which light up, but turn out to be scarring or other normal stuff. And if he needs dental extractions they would usually be before any radiotherapy, but if he has surgery they might be at the same time as that...or not! Too much to guess. Just live your lives and answers will come.

Best wishes,

Hilary