| | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 1 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 1 | Hi anyone and everyone! I am trying to stay calm while I
wait for my biopsy results. I went in for what I thought was a simple biopsy, something along the lines of a needle extraction and/or perhaps a small piece of skin removal. Well, when I looked in a mirror when I got home it seems 1/3 of the left side of my tongue and underneath have been removed. Very deep hole too. Like the saize and shape of a jawbreaker. My tongue is still sore so I cannot stick it out far enough as to see how far back the stitches went. The front was cartiroied and some stitches in there somewhere in there he said. I was worried because I thought they waited for the results of a biopsy to decide if something should removed. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 | Hi, Sunshine
Welcome to OCF - sorry that you and your poor sore tongue have to be here, though. Biopsies don't alway go exactly as planned - what the surgeon takes depends on what he sees. Are you able to stay hydrated? Do you have adequate pain meds?
Best wishes and keep posting.
Maria
CG to husband - SCC Tonsil T1N2M0 HPV+ Never Smoker
First symptoms 7/2010, DX 12/2010
TX 40 IRMT (1.8 gy) + 10 Cetuximab
PET Scans 6/2011 + 3/2012 clear, 5 year physical exam clear; chest CT's clear of cancer. On thyroid pills. Life is good.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Welcome to OCF! Try to keep yourself busy to help pass the waiting time. Hope your biopsy comes back with nothing serious wrong. Best wishes with your healing!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Hi there the advice Christine and Maria have given is good. Try not to fret. Ideally your dr took a chunk of what he saw hoping he got it all - plus a decent sized margin. That's a good thing he obviously didn't like what he saw - cancer or not. Good luck and i hope very much it's nothing.
Last edited by Cheryld; 08-24-2012 09:19 PM.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Didn't you discuss what he/she was going to do before the procedure?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 28 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 28 | waiting for results is the worst. STAY BUSY. try to keep your mind off of it as much as possible and they will come sonner than you think. hope all goes well.
Age 35, Former smoker/drinker HPV+
Ear Ache 5/12
GP for ear ache 6/18
ENT for ear ache 7/12
CT shows cancer 7/12
Biopsy 8/12
diagnosed SCC
Base of tongue right side
Barely crossed midline
Nodes involved
PEG 9/12
35 IMRT start Sept 6th
Cisplastin x3 1 down 2 to go
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 596 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 596 | Hello LMS!
Excisional biopsies are the way to go. I had one prior to my initial diagnosis where the oral surgeon removed a piece of my tongue that was about the size of a chick pea. Boy, did it hurt for about 4 days. But, he saved my life by doing it right the first time. He sent it out to a pathology service that specializes in oral lesions/cancer. The results took a week, so the waiting was really tough. I wish I had joined the forums at that point, but I didn't. I was too afraid, so kudos to you for being smart and courageous to face your fears. We are all here to support you, cancer or not. Hopefully...not!
As far as tolerating food, I had to let popsicles melt a bit, then eat them because my tongue was too sensitive to the extreme cold. Ice cream would have to warm up a bit, too. I LOVE chocolate, but many people find that chocolate irritates the tongue in these cases, so you might want to try something else. My surgeon also gave me an antiseptic rinse called chlorohexidine (or something like that) and it helped keep the area clean.
I'll be hoping and wishing for you to have no evidence of disease. Please come back for help and keep us posted as your are able.
With great care,
Kerri
37 y/o fem at Dx (23 wks preg @ dx on 3/16/11)
SCC L oral tongue (no risk factors)
L partial gloss/MND 3/28/11 @ 25 wks preg
T1-2N0M0; no rads/chemo
Tonsillectomy on 8/6/12 +SCC L tonsil T2-3N1M0 (HPV-)
Treated with 35 rads/7 carbo & taxol (Rx ended 10/31/12), but many hospitalizations d/t complications from rx.
Various scans since rx ended are NED!
Part of genetic study for rare cancers @ MGH.
44 years old now...I wasn't sure I would make it! Hoping for 40 more!
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 117 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 117 | Welcome, and hope you won't need to be on this forum long and that your biopsy will be negative.
I also sent you a private message. In case you want to chat, I also live in Illinois.
DX 12/6/10 of T3 SCC Tongue.
Surgery 1/3/11 was hemigloss & forearm free flap, midline mandibulectomy, Neck Disection-All nodes clear.
Ended rads 5/11/11. Taste buds back to about 80%. PEG removed 4/5/12, experimenting eating real food again. If I can do this, so can you !! Stay Strong.
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