I am once again asking for the suggestions and support of you folks on the Board. I was diagnosed with scc of a lymph node in my neck after needle biopsy. Unknown primary after two quadrascopies and many scopes down the nose. Three weeks ago I had radical neck dissection - 40 nodes from side with the lump and 20 from opposide side - also a salivary gland transfer to protect my saliva gland from radiation.

Today I went for my checkup with ENT surgeon and he reported - biopsy came back - NO CANCER in any of the lymph nodes they tested (approx 30-40% of the nodes they removed, including one bigger one they suspected was the bad guy)

What the heck does that mean??? After discussions with the surgeon and the oncologyst - I have opted NOT to have radiation but will be followed up closely with CT scans and PET scans -like people in other posts - I too will likely be nervous about each test.

The surgeon suggested that there are 3 possibilities: 1. that the cancerous cells are in the lymph nodes that were not biopsied;2. that I had cancer and my body cured it or 3. there was a "misdiagnosis" of the two needle biopsies - according to the surgeon a "small" likelihood.

What do I think? Right now I feel like I said all along that I never really thought I had cancer - no risk factors and felt great. At every appointment I asked"are you sure I have cancer" - my sister told me to quit asking that already!!

I really don't know how to process this information - I know it is new information - but I feel like a bride who called off the wedding and I have to give all the gifts back. I know I didn't intentionally fake this illness - I have a scar from ear to ear and swelling like a chipmunk's cheeks to prove it - but I just can't feel overjoyed at the news like people say I should. Was a mistake made, did I go through this for nothing, will this get covered up, can I be assured no one has to go through this again. Of course I want to come to the peace that I made the best decisions I could based on advise I was given from very competent professionals and for whatever reason - the cancer is gone.
Sorry to ramble - thanks for any advise, wisdom...terry