Hi, lovely to meet you all. My wonderful Dad has been diagnosed with agressive advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. It's just ulcerated this week. Only just got diagnosed after 4 months of biopsies. They haven't found the primary sourse but think it's under tongue or tonsil. Very scary times. We've not been given any information about what to expect and about to start chemo and would love any advice or tips or anything to help please and I hope I can help others too. It's all happened so fast! Dad is very tired and weak and lost alot of weight. Keeps getting repeat infections from the neck tumour including sepsis.
Thanks x
Hi Cat. Sorry to hear about your dad. It's difficult to give much info specifically. It depends what chemotherapy he is being offered. If he gives permission for you to contact his clinical team, especially his clinical nurse specialist (CNS) they will be able to tell you what to expect.
Can I presume that your dad is being given Palliative treatment? Have they said anything about that? because it's important to get things in place to look after him.
Best wishes
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hi Beesuit, thank you so much for your reply. Palliative care hasn't been mentioned but I'm assuming that's what the treatment is. If it is palliative, I'm wondering if this is worth it or not as they mentioned it could give Dad months, possibly a year or so and it's not unheard of it could give 5 years?
Dad's first Oncology appointment is tomorrow to discuss the chemo, which will then be followed by radiotherapy. I hope they will tell us more then. We don't know what stage cancer it is, but is localised and hasn't spread. Are there any questions you think might be worth asking?
Thank you 
Hi Cat. I think the mist important question to ask is whether he is getting Radical Radiotherapy aiming for cure or whether they are aiming to slow things down, give him some decent quality of life for a while
Ask what stage it is, what chemo he is getting and how much RT. Is he being fitted with a feeding tube
That will do for a start
Take a notebook with you because you’ll forget things You might even be able to record the session on your phone
Come back and tell us how it went then we can advise.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Thanks so much Beesuit. Some very good advice, that I will certainly follow. I'll let you all know what happens 
RadioRaz thank you, it is scary, but feel a little more in control knowing you all have my back with this as I was totally clueless 
. I'll let you all know what happens today  Hope you have a good day
