Hello new kid on the block here.

Hi Combo and welcome to our community

There are plenty of T4 survivors so hold on to that.

I can't comment on whether you might have Chemoradiation or surgery I'm afraid but I wanted to say hello anyway.

I have a friend who had some pretty nasty chemo then radiotherapy for a hypopharyngeal cancer and she is over a year out and living well.

She has since married and started a new life.

One of our other champs MikeO had a hypopharyngeal tumour and I'm sure he will be along soon with some wise words

Fingers crossed for the PET/CT.

Let us kn ow how you get on.

Hi Beesuit,

Wow thanks for the reply and the encouraging news. That's really given my morale a boost. As others say don't rely on "Dr Google" as that does nothing to help your situation.

So glad to see you are in recovery, long may that continue.

Have a great day my friend. 

Hey Combo, just thought I'd briefly say hello; off out for a few hours now but I'll definitley get back to you later on. Glad Dani's reply has boosted you morale, I (and others I'm sure), will try to do the same.

Hi MikeO

Thanks for reaching out, yes it certainly has been a morale booster. Thanks for sharing your own journey, wish you well for the future my friend. 

Have a great day!

Have a read of Mikes blog. 

Hi Combi. Welcome from me. I too know the same person that Dani knows. She had intensive e treatment for same cancer but happily living her life back at work and just moved house 

will all try to help. 
Hazel 

Hi Hazel thank you for your support. I'm glad you have recovered and wish you a long and happy life. 

Best wishes 

Barry (combo) 

Sorry didn't get back to you yesterday Barry, all got a bit hectic!

My first tumour was indeed on my hypopharynx (to be totally technically correct, it was on my right medial piriform fossa, which is a "subsite of the hypopharynx located posterolaterally to either side of the laryngeal opening".

It was described as "small but aggresive" and had spread to lymph nodes, so I had the treatment detailed below this, and every post I make.

So although mine occurred in a very similar place it was smaller than yours, so impossible really for me, or anyone, to tell you what treatment you're likely to have; when you know we'll be better able to comment.

I'd just repeat what Dani said though, many people recover from T4, and head and neck survival rates are also very good. It's very rare that we lose someone from this group.

Keep us posted on any updates you get.

Thanks Mike, I will certainly keep the group updated. Just waiting for news on when my treatment will start. 

Have a good day. 

Barry (combo) 

Good evening all, well this is an update. I underwent 3 months of intensive chemo, followed by 39 sessions of radiology. The chemo worked from day one for me, and I was immediately able swallow and to eat as normal for a time. Much to the surprise of my oncologist. However once the sickness kicked in, I slowly ate less and less and lost about  4 stone in weight. The last 2 weeks of chemo were the worst, and I nearly gave up on it. The radiology wasn't so bad at all, and I didn't have any pain or the symptoms my oncologist told me to expect. I did have a feeding rig fitted into my stomach, and continue to take nourishment of Ensure via a pump 2000 calories a day to date. 

However  2weeks after completion the pain kicked in. I didn't need morphine as expected, but I've been taking cocodamol when I need it. Its now 5 weeks post treatment.

My current symptoms are still the excess mucus which I have the usual meds for. But another problem is sleep. Throughout treatment I slept normally for about 7 hrs each night. But since treatment finished, I now keep waking up after 2hrs. I can then usually get back to sleep, but wake again every hour for the rest of the night. I would love 7 hours of continual sleep, as that would help me greatly. Any tips on sleep guys?