Stage 3 Squamous Cell Skin Cancer

my husband has been diagnosed  with stage three squamous skin cell carcinoma with perineural involvment and which metastized to the local nodes which were removed.  there were unable to get 100% good margins after moh's and then hand surgery.  major nerves in the hand were involved.   the drs prescribed radiation to try to get the rest out of the hand and save it, and the oncologist want prescribed xeloda to boost the benefits of radiation and to try to catch any cellls in the bloodstream.  insurance has rejected the chemo (xeloda) so i am charging $3k a month on my credit card.  they say chemo is medically unnecessary. i have 10 days left to appeal.  he has 4 of 6 subset tumor charactoristics that make him high risk, size of tumor, nerve involvement and a recent mri tht shows a differential diagnosis of a secondary neoplasm other than that previously kn0wn at the primary site.   any help out there for my appeal to blue cross blue shield????

thanks

 

On 4/9/2007 Rudden7392 wrote:

my husband has been diagnosed  with stage three squamous skin cell carcinoma with perineural involvment and which metastized to the local nodes which were removed.  there were unable to get 100% good margins after moh's and then hand surgery.  major nerves in the hand were involved.   the drs prescribed radiation to try to get the rest out of the hand and save it, and the oncologist want prescribed xeloda to boost the benefits of radiation and to try to catch any cellls in the bloodstream.  insurance has rejected the chemo (xeloda) so i am charging $3k a month on my credit card.  they say chemo is medically unnecessary. i have 10 days left to appeal.  he has 4 of 6 subset tumor charactoristics that make him high risk, size of tumor, nerve involvement and a recent mri tht shows a differential diagnosis of a secondary neoplasm other than that previously kn0wn at the primary site.   any help out there for my appeal to blue cross blue shield????

thanks

Rudden, I don't have any help except to let you know that you are not alone. I am going through something very similar with my husband and surely know how you feel. Keep me posted on what is going on, will you?