hello, i m Hanima from Gujarat, India. We found out that my father has squamous cell carcinomas (tongue), in june. He had a habbit to chew tobacco from time to time. when he first started to feel sore tongue he checked it up to a doc. who was a total douche bag as he told my father that he has ulcer and not cancer. He started taking pills but after a few fights with me & bleeding from mouth, he agreed to check again and went to another reputed doc who then told him that he is suffering from tongue cancer and is in almost 3rd stage. so he started doing radiotherapy, since the start of the therapy he has blood vomited 3 times. I seriously don't know which stage he is in as other docs from south India whom we consulted by sending our reports say that it is still in its early stage & is curable. everyone is just confusing us. Also because he bleed through mouth ENT docs operated him & attached a vent pipe in his throat & a pipe through his nose to stomach for liquid food... I am terrified & concerne about my father please help me know which he is at if any one of you have been to this situation.

Hanima;
I too had squamous cell carcinoma which had spread to a lymph node. They never did find a primary tumor. I underwent chemo and radiation. For your father, if there are no involved lymph nodes or tumors in the lungs I would tend to agree with the docs in that is was caught early. Not sure why they passed the nasal gastric tube. Was he unable to swallow? Same with the tracheostomy. Was the bleeding so severe that he had trouble breathing? I wish that I could help more but everyone is different. The important thing is that you find a doc that you and your father are comfortable with. Don't be afraid to seek additional opinions, as you already have. Good luck and blessings to you and your father.

thank you Richard,
the ENT docs said my father might have problem in the future regarding breathing & that it might block the lungs. and yes he did have trouble swallowing.

Richard,
how are you now and is your cancer cured? did you go through surgery? does it look ugly? are you able to talk? i am sorry but I have too many questions to ask before I convince my father which doctor to believe.

Welcome to OCF. Everyone is different as you will quickly learn around here. Stage is important but I have seen some Stage I patients die while other Stage IV patients survive. I have been both, the last time I was Stage IV and I got thru it. So you see that your fathers Stage will not determine his fate.

Radiation for oral cancer patients can be very difficult. Nutrition and hydration are hard to get when its hard to swallow and things dont taste right. The nasal tube will help him to keep up with his required daily intake amounts. Around here we speak directly from experience. Your father needs 2500 calories and 48 oz of water every single day. It sounds like its alot but his body will be working overtime fighting not just the cancer but trying to rebuild itself. If he doesnt take this in he will have a much harder time getting thru this.

As far as the nausea goes, ask the doctor for anti-nausea meds like zofran and compazine to help him feel better. Once nausea hits its pretty hard to take in enough as whatever he throws up needs to be put back in. If necessary there are suppositories with some anti-nausea meds. Try to give the meds around the clock as once it gets away from you and he begins to throw up its almost impossible to get ahead of it.

Wishing you both all the best with everything!

thank you Christine!!!! for the advice.. I'll keep up with it. just wanted to ask you do you need surgery even after radiations. my dad has had 12 sessions of them. and did you ever bleed?? not like blood in saliva but pure blood pouring out. it is terrifying to watch dad go through this. but i am glad i joined this foundation. it helps me keep faith. and be brave in front of him. Thanx alot and I hope that u'll help me in future too.

Hello Hanima I am a newbie here and like you I am supporting my husband and his family. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with tongue cancer in Jan 2008 and she had a partial glossectomy of her right side of the tongue. My sister-in-law told me that the after surgery was frightening since Joyce would cough out blood. Unfortunately they did not do radiation and did not treat the cancer aggressively that is the mistake. BTW I am in the USA while Joyce is in the Philippines. We do not have hospitals devoted to cancer alone. May 2012 she noticed a lesion on her gums which was diagnosed as SCC after the CT Scan they would more cancer on her lower jaw bone. Therefore she is having a mandible dissection followed by 33 sessions of radiation. The sad part is that she is very thin now less than 100 lbs. Another big frustration for me is that the technology here is so far from what they have in the Philippines. Questions are also not being asked.

I wish you the best Hanima and I pray for the complete recovery of your father. You are blessed to be with him. Our elderly parents are 20,000 miles away

Dear Ina.... i totally understand the pain your family must be going through.... my father too has lost weight, he used to be really fat and chubby. last night he fell on the floor while returning to his bed from the bathroom. his legs are not strong enough to hold on to. the concern in India is that the economy is so poor due corruption that even a single surgery would cost middle class families like mine, a fortune. and still the cure is not assured.... keeping all that aside, i just want my father to get well just like you wish to see your mother in law. give her my wishes,I shall pray for you both. take care. & thank you!!!

Sometimes a little blood when mixed with saliva can look like alot more than it really is. You should mention the bleeding to your fathers doctor.

I cant tell you enough about good nutrition and hydration. This is more important than you realize. It will help him to feel better and make it easier to stand up to the difficult treatments.

Being a caregiver is not an easy task. It takes alot of courage to appear to be brave while you are scared and worried. This forum will help you both thru this. Moral support is important for not just the patient. Some patients need anti anxiety medication to help get them thru and they arent alone, some caregivers need it too. That goes to show you haw hard it is for both sides. I always call caregivers angels as they are selfless and watch over the patient while putting on a brave smiling face. It cant be easy to manage the home, bills, groceries, cooking, cleaning, working and then also to transport the patient and put their needs first while watching them deteriorate slowly before their eyes. Its more than any one person should have to deal with. Dont be afraid to ask friends and relatives for help to give you a break once in a while. Take a few minutes each day to collect your thoughts and take a deep breath. It doesnt have to be anything like an all day trip to a spa, just take a walk around the block or sit on the porch for 10 minutes and relax. Caregivers need care too.

Wishing you both all the best!

Hello again, Our situation is the same financially. In fact, the hospitalization of Mom is minimal since they are taking into consideration the funds available. In the Philippines your hospital services are pre-paid and they will NOT hesistate to send you home if the funds are not sufficient. Truthfully it breaks my heart. Also there are some test that have not been done due to cost, to be specific the PET Scan. They had to forgo of this test since it will cost $2000. I will include you and your father in my prayers. God bless to you for being your Dad's angel. Ina