6 week post-treatment review

FormerMember
FormerMember
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Hi all, 

Hubby had oropharyngeal cancer, with no primary found, and metastases in 9 neck lymph nodes. He is 42. He had a radical neck dissection and then CRT.

We saw the Oncologist today, and all was good. No cancer on the radiotherapy scans and nothing odd to feel in the jaw or neck, which is obviously brilliant. His PEG can come out now, as he is eating small meals again, which he is hugely pleased about. He had a terrible month after treatment, but is improving every day. 

The docs had requested HPV status for the second time as it was negative, which they really werent expecting, and it definitely is, so this is slightly unsettling, but nothing we can do about that! 

So can we say he is currently cancer-free, and when do we start counting from? Date of operation, end of chemoradiotherapy, or from today? I didn't think to ask!

Thankyou! 

  • So pleased to hear your husband is doing well, having gone through radiotherapy my self I know the first month is very tough, however each day you feel yourself getting better and stronger. 

    To answer your question about when to start count from. I was told by my consultant it was from the last day of treatment radiotherapy or chemotherapy not from the operation.  Hope this helps and I wish your husband all the very best for the future. 

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to ladyl

    Thankyou! He has particularly improved in the last two weeks, though is choking quite often on food. I have banned him from more difficult foods when no one is in the house. Hopefully this will be short term though, as his swallowing improves.

  • Hi Nat wait until he has had his pet ct scan ,then take it from there am sure everything will be fine , don’t over worry about the h p v status it is a good thing in terms of cancer being h o v positive ut gives a huge plus point to the cancer not being a life style ie smoking drinking cause no offence made to any one it’s just how my oncologist explained it to us. 

    My wording went along the lines of my pet ct scan showed no evidence of cancer in my body , so the terminology is in remission until the end if the 5 year period. 

    Onward and upward from here ,

    keep in touch 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/