I just found your board and joined today.
I'm a 57 YO, heavy smoker and beer drinker. Dropped the smoking before the first surgery, still like my beer though.

I was diagnosed 10/08 with oral cancer, ENT did a byopsy from a spot in my mouth. Surgery removed a tumor (SCC?), made a flap(?) from a skin graph from my arm, followed by six weeks of RT treatment with the MASK.
My follow up on 10/15/09 found a soft spot, which turned out to be SCC. I go in for my PET/CT scan tomorrow morning. Don't know if I can receive more radiation or not since I've already received full dose.
Of course I'm scarred to death of surgery, but don't see any options.
I went through month after month of good progress/check ups. This reoccurrance hit me hard, not to mention devistate my wife, who's been there with me all the way.
Somehow, I'll try to get through this again. I didn't know how many others had to go through something like this. I don't know of anyone personnally.

Thanks for listening, and thanks Brian for the assist in introduction site.

Hi, Barry -
You've found a welcoming place, & I'm sure someone will come forward with information and experience to help you through your current condition.

Good Luck - I know you'll find the strength to fight this thing!

Marlene

This is a great place! I just went through surgery today and found a reccurrence. I am going to have radiation as well, so may be asking for advice on how to get through it. This board is a wealth knowledge and encouragement. I pray that your Drs will do the right thing for you.

Angelia,
Have they said why RT wasn't prescibed after first surgery? If not, why are they now prescibing RT when they didn't previously?---I'm no expert, just asking questions.

Barry.

Barry, My Dr. said they are prescribing RT now, because I have skip factor going on or because it showed up so soon again. We are no playing with this thing. They did not prescribe it the first time because we had clear margins and nothing on the PET scan. The PET was either incorrect or the cancer reccurred very quickly.

Barry, maybe you should put the beer away with the smokes. I gave up smoking when I found out I had OC and this was after 50 yrs of smoking. I wasn't a drinker but would have quit that too, I been in the OR so much I can give numbers of screws in the ceiling. THe best you can do is listen to the Drs. As I sit here now, I can't put anything in my mouth thicker than oatmeal and try to swallow it. Give it your best and beat this stuff. Jim

Thanks, greatly appreciate your input. Can't get it from those that haven't been there.....Barry

I'm with the others, Barry. Anything you can do to help yourself is a step forward. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hang in there and fight the best fight you can and hopefully everything else will work out. God bless your caregiver too. Mine was fantastic and I pray I don't have to see her go through it again. Our thoughts and prayers are with her as well!