#26951 11-10-2004 07:16 AM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 | ...then again it could be a whole lot worse, but it's too early to tell.
I had a follow up appointment with my radiation oncologist a couple of weeks ago. After happily joking and making small talk with him and going through the exam process, we got to the point of pulling the scope out of my nose (always a relief!) and he was all frowns. I knew immediately something was up. When I asked him how does it look, he said he wanted to feel my tongue before he answered and continued to frown. After he completed his exam, he said he saw an abnormality about the size of a pencil point near the original tumor site and wanted a fresh CT scan and one of the other docs to have a look.
I had the CT scan last Thursday and an appointment with the surgeon Friday. He scoped and choked me and saw what the rad onc saw, but said it didn't look like cancer and that he didn't want to see me again for three more months -- the standard first year follow-up interval. However, the radiologist had not reviewed the CT scan by that time. So the surgeon told me if the radiologist saw something, then they would call me and have me back in six weeks or less. I got a call from the surgeon's P.A. yesterday morning -- the radiologist saw something: "...a fullness that is worrisome with regard to recurrent disease."
It was a tough day after that phone call yesterday. Sometimes I get so sick of being sick or recovering from being sick. Sick of hopspitals and their smells, of needles and catheters, of doctors and their vocabulary that I don't always understand, of........I digress. This post wasn't meant to be a rant.
In any case, I go in for a pandenoscopy (spelling?) December 1st, which is right at my one year post-treatment anniversay. We'll get a biopsy sample and see what the pathologist says. I'll post an update after the pathology report is in.
Thanks for the chance to externalize some of this.
-Brett
Base of Tongue SCC. Stage IV, T1N2bM0. Diagnosed 25 July 2003. Treated with 6 weeks induction chemo -- Taxol & Carboplatin once a week followed with 30 fractions IMRT, 10 fields per fraction over 6 more weeks. Recurrence October 2005.
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#26952 11-10-2004 07:47 AM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 | Hey Brett, Just wanted you to know that I will pray that there is no cancer with this abnormality. It is so hard to wait on results and try and figure out exactly what they are saying and thinking. Take care and God bless, Debbie
Debbie - Caregiver for husband, Dan, diagnosed with tongue cancer 7/03. Partial gloss., mod. neck dissections, graft. Recurrence neck tumor 12/03. Radical left neck dissection 12/24/03-unable to get all the tumor. 8 weeks chemo/rad beginning 1/12/04.
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#26953 11-10-2004 10:33 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 116 Gold Member (100+ posts) | Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 116 | Wish you the best. As its been said many times what does the biopsy say. Get your mind off it and wait for the final results. You will only feel worse the more you dwel on it. God Bless.
SCC R-Tonsil T2 NO MO Dec 2003. Completed IMRT Radiation only to tonsils(72Gy) and neck(55Gy)March 04. Detected at age 50.
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#26954 11-10-2004 11:23 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 | Brett, it ain't til it is. Try not to think about it. Get rid of the worry as you get on with your life. What will be, will be, and worry won't help anything. One day at a time. Will pray it is nothing of concern.
Regards, Kirk Georgia Stage IV, T1N2aM0, right tonsil primary, Tonsilectomy 11/03, 35 rad/3cisplatin chemo, right neck dissection 1/04 - 5/04.
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#26955 11-10-2004 01:48 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 106 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 106 | Brett, I am so sorry you have this worry again. As Kirk said, it is nothing but a "fullness" yet, and probably never will be, but I know you have a hard time keeping your mind off the possibilities. i know what you mean about being tired of the whole thing, doctors and hospitals, needles and nurses. Tomorrow is my first day of in what seems like months that I don't have a doctor's appointment, and that is only because I made a mistake about the date and had to reschedule! I hope you will have the best news in December! Leena
scc right tonsil T1N1M0, right tonsillectomy + modified neck dissection 3/04, radiation IMRT both sides X33 ended 6/04. Also had renal cell carcinoma, left kidney removed 11/04
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#26956 11-10-2004 04:59 PM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 | Hang in there Brett,
Hoping all goes well with your path report. Hard not to worry when you think of a reoccurance I know. I am also tired of the whole scene. Smells, Nurses, Doctors and scans. I think the longer we go through the treatment the more sick of it we get. I'm pulling for you Brett.
Danny Boy
Daniel Bogan DX 7/16/03 Right tonsil,SCC T4NOMO. right side neck disection, IMRT Radiation x 33.
Recurrance in June 05 in right tonsil area. Now receiving palliative chemo (Erbitux) starting 3/9/06
Our good friend and loved member of the forum has passed away RIP Dannyboy 7-16-2006
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#26957 11-11-2004 08:56 AM | Joined: Sep 2002 Posts: 642 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2002 Posts: 642 | Brett, I am sorry to hear the worrisome news. I am hoping for the best for you. I know what you mean about being tired of the hospital scene, but now that I go in so seldom I actually kind of miss MD Anderson and seeing some of the people there. Of course I never miss having that scope stuck through my nose.
Take care, Danny G.
Stage IV Base of Tongue SCC Diagnosed July 1, 2002, chemo and radiation treatments completed beginning of Sept/02.
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#26958 11-11-2004 11:26 AM | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 | Brett, the wait is awful, hang in there and keep looking up!!! God Bless, Carol
Diagnosed May 2002 with Stage IV tongue cancer, two lymph nodes positive. Surgery to remove 1/2 tongue, neck dissection, 35 radiation treatments. 11/2007, diagnosed with cancer of soft palate, surgery 12/14/07, jaw split. 3/24/10, cancer on tongue behind flap, need petscan, surgery scheduled 4/16/10 ---update passed away 8-27-11---
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#26959 11-10-2004 01:48 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 106 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 106 | Brett, I am so sorry you have this worry again. As Kirk said, it is nothing but a "fullness" yet, and probably never will be, but I know you have a hard time keeping your mind off the possibilities. i know what you mean about being tired of the whole thing, doctors and hospitals, needles and nurses. Tomorrow is my first day of in what seems like months that I don't have a doctor's appointment, and that is only because I made a mistake about the date and had to reschedule! I hope you will have the best news in December! Leena
scc right tonsil T1N1M0, right tonsillectomy + modified neck dissection 3/04, radiation IMRT both sides X33 ended 6/04. Also had renal cell carcinoma, left kidney removed 11/04
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#26960 11-10-2004 04:59 PM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 | Hang in there Brett,
Hoping all goes well with your path report. Hard not to worry when you think of a reoccurance I know. I am also tired of the whole scene. Smells, Nurses, Doctors and scans. I think the longer we go through the treatment the more sick of it we get. I'm pulling for you Brett.
Danny Boy
Daniel Bogan DX 7/16/03 Right tonsil,SCC T4NOMO. right side neck disection, IMRT Radiation x 33.
Recurrance in June 05 in right tonsil area. Now receiving palliative chemo (Erbitux) starting 3/9/06
Our good friend and loved member of the forum has passed away RIP Dannyboy 7-16-2006
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