Dear Dr Chris,
I am CY, sister of patient J. I have submitted the on-line first visit form and attached the details of doctor’s report. J is currently bed-ridden and too weak to travel to Penang hence I am writing on-line to seek your assistance. Kindly need your urgent attention on this case and shall further discussion. Is need be I shall travel to meet you on her behalf.
Medical Reports:
She was first diagnosed with tongue caner in 2009 while she was pregnant. She underwent a right hemiglossectomy and supraomohyid neck dissection in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the disease recurred very soon after her delivery. She further received concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in Singapore but the cancer continued to grow despite the aggressive therapy.
She went to China. Ms J was given combination of cryosurgery, intra-arterial chemotherapy and brachytherapy in China. These combinations of treatment have caused significant damage to her neck with fistula formation and necrosis of the soft tissue. She is on a permanent tracheostomy and a PEG feeding tube. The cancer continue to spread on to the surrounding neck wounds despite the treatment.
She was started on a combination of Docetaxel/Cetuximab every 3 weeks on24 Septmebr 20010 at Pantai Hospital. The cancer seems to be responding to this combination with no further increase in the number of skin nodules with resolution of some of the lesions and decrease in the pain and swelling of the left jaw and neck.
Reply: A sad case and an example where surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and whatever high sounding therapies could cause more harm and good?
