Hypopharangeal Cancer- Immunotherapy

Hi everyone   I thought I'd update on my husband's situation.

Briefly he was given a dire prognosis in Jan'22 of inoperable/ untreatable T4N3 cancer in Hypopharynx. ....perhaps a few weeks, maybe months to live. The tumour is around his carotid artery and has spread to lymph nodes in the neck.

He was given a few palliative , low dose radiotherapy sessions to 'perhaps' give him summer '22. Then in August '22 he started Immunotherapy ( Pembrolizumab) every 6 weeks.

Luckily there have been no side effects that have prevented the treatment and ......he is still here in September '23

He looks well ( as he did before his diagnosis - after a huge bleed from his throat) eats well, walks etc - normal, apart from phlegm (possibly from radiotherapy)

He has just been given CT scan results that indicate no further spread can be detected anywhere else. 

.....AND there is a measurable  reduction in the tumour in the neck lymphnode. Soft tissue surrounding the main tumour is preventing measurement in detail.

This result means Immunotherapy can continue for now.....December's session has been booked......Dare I say Hopeful?

  • Hi Mynydd. Great news and thank you for posting. Head and neck cancers are responding well to immunotherapy we hear that from the articles we read,but it’s good to hear from a patients point of view. Best wishes to your husband and you for the future. I remember your rearly posts 

    hugs Hazel xx

    Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz 

    My blog is www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com  HPV 16+ tonsil cancer Now 5 years  post treatment. 35 radiotherapy 2 chemo T2N2NM.Happily getting on with living always happy to help  

  • Hi  yours is indeed good news.  I’m so pleased he can stay on Pembro to give him a chance. Hugs to both of you. 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. Out of radiotherapy January 2019

    Blog about my cancer. 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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