Chemotherapy choices

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Hi Team :-)

Hubby was originally set for radio + chemo and has now started the former. He was meant to start chemo tomorrow and had been prescribed cisplatin. He suffers from tinnitus and the consultant knew this when we saw him at Christmas, and suggested careful monitoring (on the basis that cisplatin can cause tinnitus / hearing / ear problems).

However when we saw him yesterday, he completely changed his mind and decided that carboplatin would be better. I have read that carboplatin is typically used in combination with taxo (paclitaxel) but this has not been suggested. Plus it can also cause hearing problems and hair loss. It doesn't seem an attractive option to me. I've tried to find out the incidence of ear-related s/e's with both but haven't been successful.

Does anyone have any knowledge / experience with this?

Thanks

RadioactiveRaz over 5 years ago

I don’t have personal knowledge , I was given cisplatin ,but I do know quite a few head and neck patients who only had carbo platin because if previous ear issues. In most Head and Neck cancer cases remember chemotherapy isn’t the main course of treatment the way my oncologist described it is it’s a brave and belt addon on , from memory and don't take this as gospel chemo adds an extra few percent points towards the end result. It acts alongside. Radiotherapy which is the main course of treatment. The people who I know that has carbo platin has no more hair loss than the cisplatin people.Of course with any treatment there are always exceptions.Some time the bloods that are taken in the days before also can indicate a need to change chemotherapy.

hope this makes sense.

Hazel x

Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz

My blog is www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com HPV 16+ tonsil cancer Now 6 years post treatment. 35 radiotherapy 2 chemo T2N2NM.Happily getting on with living always happy to help

2 videos I’ve been involved with raising awareness of HNC and HPV cancers

https://www.instagram.com/merckhealthcare/reel/DBs8Y0niJ8N/

https://oraclehnc.org.uk/signawaycancer

FormerMember over 5 years ago

I had the 35 RTs and 3 Cisplatin’s. Although all the professionals said I wouldn’t loose my hair,..apart from in the nape of my neck where the radio wwas...I have lost a good 75% of it! It came out in handfuls and every time I mentioned it I was told ‘well it shouldn’t’ we came to the conclusion that it was the stress and trauma the body goes through. As for tinnitus..I have this too..slightest thing makes me loose my hearing..but then it returns..the tinnitus is constant but to be fair it’s not bothering me too much...

best of wishes

Anna x

Hellebore1 over 5 years ago

Hi Worried Wife - to new honest I really wouldn’t worry about this! Easy to say, but Hazel is right - the chemo is a very small part of the treatment in terms of adding to ‘cure”. I think it’s pretty common for those with tinnitus or hearing problems to be given carboplatin instead. I had cisplatin (3 high doses) and with the last one I got hearing damage for which I now have aids, and tinnitus which was ghastly to start with but now ok. I also lost a ton of hair (not radio-related) but as I have lots of hair, I wasnt too concerned, just a bit sad. Several others have also had hair loss. But, to be sure everything has it’s downsides. I would take the advice of the Oncologist - having posed your questions - and just appreciate that there are risks, but that the aim will be to treat your husband successfully. I’m here26months post-treatment .....

good luck to you both,

Hilary

worried_wife over 5 years ago

Thanks for all of your very sensible responses (I am living up to my pseudonym "worried wife" :-)

My husband was diagnosed with HPV+ SCC BoT aged 57 in December 2019. He received 30 fractions of radiotherapy and 2 doses of Cisplatin in Jan/Feb 2020.

RadioactiveRaz over 5 years ago in reply to worried_wife

Hi try not to worry your hubby will need you in a few weeks to be strong ,have faith in your team around you and you won’t go far wrong .As many of us in here can testify the treatment can be brutal ,the recover can be long but if you think where we are being treated our mouth and throat area .Its the area that takes the most daily use ,we eat we drink we breathe we talk we even sleep using the mouth area .So at the end if the day it really is a miracle that we get through it and I can now occasionally enjoy a packet of plain crisps !!

Dont worry please just ask anything that’s worrying yiu

Hazel xx