Hi all, a wet England here !

I wanted to intro myself and my fathers condition to see if anyone can offer help/support.

My father was diagnosed 4 years ago with cancer under the tongue which was a great shock, especially being announced on my 30th birthday.

He underwent radio brachytherapy and has had regular checks and all was going well. 18 months or so the dentist said the cancer may have returned which was spotted with the use of special paste they were trialing. This was poo poo'd by the cancer doctor as nothing more than an over zealous dentist.

Ulcerations returned and eventually he had tests and a biopsy 4 weeks ago. This came back with the bad news it had returned. He has had the MRI scan 1 week ago and he gets his results the day we go away on holiday.

The best news is he has to have skin graft and where radiated, removed along with several teeth and he will have to learn to eat, chew, swallow again. The worst news will be that it has spread an is inoperable/terminal.

Can anyone out there who has had similar or knows people etc offer any thoughts, however brutal ??

I am looking forward to chatting with anyone who can offer help etc etc

Regards to you all.

Darren

I hoped that someone else would jump in here and offer something inspirational, something that makes this seem less tragic. I never seem to have the right words in times of emotional need. So I will approach this from a different angle. First, having met and corresponded with numerous individuals who have been told that they are terminally ill, but who are still around several years after the dire prognosis, I suggest that you do not resign yourself to their predictions. Not knowing all the details of your fathers situation, this may either be logical or in vain, but I hate acquiescence. Unless massive multiple distant metastasis is present, there is always hope, perhaps with doctors of a more aggressive perspective or different approach.

I would also like to voice a personal opinion, which has reared its head in these boards before, primarily in my perspectives on IMRT radiation and oral cancer. Brachytherapy has its place in the treatment of cancers. Where I hear of its greatest value is in those patients who have been radiated previously and find themselves years later with a recurrence that is still very localized. The nature of this type of radioactive seed radiation is that only a very limited area of tissue is exposed to the radiation, ideally in the tumor and immediately surrounding it. Another area in which this type of radiation is fairly successful is in prostate cancers. The shortcoming of this treatment protocol is that it does not kill those micro metastasis that are too small to be detectable with our current technologies, which are residing in the surrounding tissues, and perhaps as far away as the cervical nodes. A patient is given a

Thanks Brian for those words.

My father was told brachy was new here for this type and has 96% pass rate here in UK.

Having had this he now has to have the lower palate removed as it is radiated tissue, along with 4 teeth etc etc.

I will ask re paste/mouthwash stuff. He gets results tomorrow and we are fortunately or unfortunately going to Cyprus tomorrow am. We fly as he gets results. Some strange irony there maybe.

Will let you know and report back in about a weeks time.

thanks again for taking the time to write. I hope there are others to read on my return !

Darren

Hi all, shame no other responses after my holidays.

Brian, my fathers cancer has not spread thankfully. He goes for a chat with specialist 11/12, goes in on 18/12, ironically his birthday and will be out of action as it were Xmas and New Year. Still if it gives him a chance to see our baby for longer, whats 1 Xmas ??

Will let you know.

Regards

darren

Many prayers your way.....we can not give up hope.......and we treasure everyday, that`s what we learn here.............Packer

I went through my treatments over a Christmas holiday as well.......wasn't the season to be jolly that year. The lack of distant mets is great news. We all wih your father the best, and many happy days with his grandchildren after treatment.

Darren,

I too went through my treatments over the holidays - it made me even more thankful I was around. It also brings the closeness of family and friends to a new level of caring.

Good luck and prayers to you and your Dad.

Take care,
Dinah