I have a question that may spark some debate but I am very interested in the opinion of others. If you look at my signature, I am wondering if you would go with a more conservative doctor or aggresive doctor. It seems to me, some people with the same diagnosis as me, have undergone a neck dissection with the removal of nodes. My doctor discussed not having that done at this time. My SCC was found laterally on my tongue. After speaking with my doctor today he described it as "superficial". Invasion was present: depth <0.1 cm. I would like to hear other opinions. The people who are T1 SCC, and had a neck dissection/nodes removed, was yours more invasive than mine?

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Yvonne

Different surgeons follow different protocols. there is no standard treatment. If you look at my signature you will see that I had a partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed. That was suggested by my surgeon and I was more than willing to go along with his reasoning for doing it.

There are many members that would disagree with that treatment option, but I am almost 6 years out and am very comfortable having had the neck dissection.

A debate MAY follow!!!!

HPV- go with Mr Aggressive.

David,

It is HPV negative. I wasn't sure if you were thinking it was HPV +. HPV negative, would you go with aggresive?

Thanks,

Yvonne

Yvonne,

Mine was also T1 SCC. I saw a top doc at Penn (excellent hospital in Philly) went for a 2nd opinion with the top doc at Sloan Kettering (same doc that treated Michael Douglas) and my doc that I actually see at Fox Chase and they all said the same thing. That the cancer should be treated surgially only with a partial glossectomy (4 actually) but it was only cancer once in 2007. All the others were a precaution because I had some white spots..it was always severe dyaplasia.

I think in order for you to feel at peace with your decision, you should at least go for a 2nd opinion. As you can see I had 3 from some very good doctors and that is why I can rest at night.

Yvonne,

I went into surgery knowing that I had one 'involved' lymph node and came out of it with three. The difference not only changed my staging, it also changed my follow up treatment protocol to a more aggressive route - Erbitux added and additional radiation.

I do have numbness on that side, all the way up to my ear, a large scar and some muscle tightness, but I'm still here and doing well. I think that's a pretty good outcome.

- Margaret

Thanks you everyone. I just got off the phone with one of the doctors and had all my questions answered. I am very happy to say, but feel bad for others who are going through much worse, that the tissue showed very superficial (microscopic) amount of SCC - not invading the tissue.

Yvonne,
I was diagnosed in Sept with superficially invasive scc of ventral tongue, 1 mm deep, if that. Very small, not supposed to do anything. It did. I think it depends upon the histology as well. Mine was moderately well differentiated, so not terrible, but apparently some wilder cells got away.

You are probably ok. My doctor at MD Anderson said he had never seen a small tongue lesion such as mine metastasize, and he had seen lots of cases. So that is why he wanted me to go through radiation. The lymph node was also small, but apparently with some microscopic EC extension, so the chemo got added. The surgeon thought he had gotten everything but they are all cautious here.

Don't mean to upset you or muddy the water, but there it is.
Anne

Thanks, Anne. You didn't upset me at all. I'm always happy to hear everyone's story.

Forgive me. Call me crazy but I think aggressive is the way to go. Everyone is an individual. Everyone's body responds differently. And while most doctors are pretty accurate when it comes to making their decisions, they aren't 100 percent. There is always that one case that they think "won't" or "shouldn't" but does... Cancer is cancer. Go after it with both barrels blazing. That way in the end... you don't find yourself saying... "I should have..."

As you can see from my sig. I too have a SCC lesion on my tongue. It is a fair size, stage 2 though no metastacies was shown three weeks ago during my MRI. I am still having a hemiglossectomy R/T size - but also the neck dissction done, and if they tell me I will need radiation I will do that too.

Cancer is not something to mess around with. If the means to fight it is at your disposal, then do whatever you have to to make sure it's gone. Best of luck.