Time between diagnosis and treatment

It was 5 months between my diagnosis and treatment start date. But from what I can gather on this forum that was a long time. In hindsight I would chase more often as it seems that the more you chase the more attention you get. I’ve found that to be the case when I’ve been chasing for follow up tests. 
Good luck 

Hi Sorry to hear of your husbands predicament.  This forum is amazing for support. I had tonsil  cancer earlier  in  the year. I had biopsy on 3rd Feb then had my first op on 18th March  ,neck dissection  then week later had robotic  surgery.  Had all the scans and appointments before gand and it all felt like it happened really quickly. 

Good luck.

Good morning,so sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis. As a fellow wife I feel for you guys. For us it all started with finding a lump on the left side on his neck,eventually getting a referel to ENT. From then being told that my husband had throat cancer (T4N3M0) last year at the beginning of November,our treatment started very quickly After having MRIs, pet scans,biopsy,mask fitting, etc ,we started treatment, at the end of the same  month. Reading people stories, i wonder wether it depends on the Trust that looks after you. I think we were lucky in a way as our consultant treated our case as a priority and put a rush on the treatment.. My husband is now nearly a year post treatment and doing well, also he's got some niggling side effects to live with, which are common. Stay strong,positive and patient. It's a long way to recovery but it's worth it. I couldn't think about the alternative.  Hugs and love fellow wife Mel. X

Thank you - what are the main side effects if you don’t mind me asking?

he’s barely sleeping now and we just want to feel like we are doing something!

Hi Rose, in 2017 I was diagnosed in early July had my tonsils out in mid-August and my treatment started at the beginning of October, so it was nearly 3 months for me. It does seem as if nothing is being done, however, with all the testing and waiting for the results, then they have to have the planning meeting to discuss the best treatment to offer. There is a lot going on although as the patient and the carer, you don't see the background work, but they are getting everything together and planning for his treatment, they will call you in when the time is right.

Ray.

Hi Rose 

I found my cancer at the beginning of August. My USC 2 week referral took five weeks so I wasn't seen till mid September  and MRI not done till the end of the month followed by biopsy a couple of weeks later so I had a definitive diagnosis by mid October and started treatment December 12. So for me from diagnosis to treatment was 8 weeks. I was in Wales which is operating its NHS at snail pace so I would expect your husband's treatment to start sooner, maybe straight after New Year.

All oropharyngeal SCC is aggressive so try not to put too much into that comment as we are all in the same boat.

Your husband has to have his mask and planning done yet and much of that planning is down to AI and speeded up even in the seven years seine mine was done. It's a cancer that responds very well to RT with cure rates run excess of 90%

MRSMM said:

I think we were lucky in a way as our consultant treated our case as a priority and put a rush on the treatment

I think most trusts are on the ball if a cancer like ours (which responds well) is advanced. I think if you are a T1 the urgency is less.

MRSMM said:

My husband is now nearly a year post treatment and doing well,

So good to read he is doing well and hopefully ,looking forward to Christmas 

We were just as anxious before treatment started,not knowing what comes next was nerve racking, ones the treatment started,it got a little easier,if this is the right way in saying.My husbands cancer was found on the bottom of his tongue, so his 30rounds RT was aimed on both sides of his neck with 2 rounds of CT, cisplatin. You said you are still waiting for your treatment plan.Side effects for treatment can effect people differently, but most common ones what we learned are tiredness/fatigue,sore throat,not able to swallow anything,sick mucus,dry caugh,my husband found it uncomfortable to sleep normal,as his neck was badly burned at some point, got V shaped pillows to support him to sleep upright,saying that,he slept more during the day,as nights kept him up.He lost a lot of weight( down from 110kgs to 70kg) He had a PEG fitted prior treatment, which was a life saver. As the ability to swallow started for him about 3wks into treatment.After about 10wks post treatment he started to eat soft food,also tastes are not the same afterwards, it takes some time for those to get back to normal, if ever there is one. So please don't except miracles,be prepared,it's gonna be a long ride till recovery,you mentioned that your consultant said it being aggressive? I found it heartbreaking to watch my husband having to go through it. But the assurance from our medical team that this is curable got us through. All my best  Mel x

Good morning Dani, thank you,yes as you can imagine we are looking forward to this year's Christmas. He is looking forward to a 'proper meal'. Also Keith is now nearly a year post treatment, I still follow peoples stories on here and  if I can give some advise or support that would be great. So with this,keep up the good work and wishing you all a Merry Christmas. Mel x

Thank you. Really helpful. It’s the not knowing that’s the worst as I’m always imagining the very very worst - eg nothing they can do. So at this point anything will seem better than that x