Thanks for all the inquiries on the results of my test. I apologize for the lateness of my reply. I am happy to report that the margins came back clean and the nodes taken from my neck were also clean. I am to see the Dr once every six weeks for a year. Once every two months for a year, and then less often for another three years. So I am feeling pretty good and giving thanks for the good news. The surgery was not too bad, I have a slight speach impediment now, but hey, I can live with that. Hope all is well.

John

John,

Congratulations -- that's great news!

Speech impediments often have a way of lessening or going away entirely after some healing, so it could be just a short-term thing.

Please stay in touch with us.

Cathy

Great news John!!!

Words we love to hear: "clean margins" and "negative for cancer."

I agree that your speech problems may lessen over time. I was scared to make phone calls for a few weeks after mine, but now people forget that I've even had surgery to my tongue when they talk to me...

John
Great news . When your speech comes back mac\ke sure you Yahoo.Diane

John,

Fantastic!!! Your speech will improve once the swelling goes down. It may take a few weeks, just be patient.

Lynn

John,
Great news...what stage were you in and did they mention anything about the need for possible radiation? I didn't see that info in your signature and can't remember your other posts. Not trying to worry you, but Dan's nodes were negative and he got a neck tumor 4 months later. I found out they only took a few nodes even though he was stage 2/3 and the tongue SCC was probably quarter sized by then. I wasn't ready this board then and didn't realize how important questions about radiation as prevention would have been. We will never know if it would have made any difference, but it was never even brought up...just trying to make you aware of some things we were not at the time.

Praise God for your clean margins and may He continue to give you healing.

Debbie

John,

I agree with Debbie's point about getting your medical team to address the radiation question. My team was quite confident they had clean margins, but there were certain characteristics of the tumor that caused them to push strenuously for radiation. I didn't like hearing that at the time, but in retrospect, I have to wonder if that was a key factor in keeping it away for 15 years (so far).

Cathy

Congrudulation's John,

We love to hear good news!! Have yourself a great weekend!

Dan

I was stage 1. Radiation was offered as a possibility, but was really not recommended initally pending results of the tests post surgery. As the tests came back clean, I do not think the Dr will recommend raditation. But I am interested in other opinions.

John,

My first cancer was "microscopic" and the physicians opted out of radiation too. Problem is if there is even one cell left behind that reproduces then you have a reoccurance. With the stats being so high for oral cancer reoccurance, I might really discuss this with the physicians. I'm not sure if radiation would have prevented a reoccurance, but then it might have. It's good that you're getting information now rather than later. The other issue is if you have radiation now, then radiation later might be out or limited. This is really where it's hard to make a decision. Pray for wisdom and discernment during this difficult time. I will be praying for you too.

Lynn

The actual statistic is that 27% of all stage one and two oral cancers have an occult met to the cervical nodes of the neck. Occult in this case means that it is too small to be detectable by conventional imaging techniques. This topic has been discussed here before and I suggest you use the search engine and look for "occult" to find some of the old threads. Some of the posts were actually pre IMRT radiation, some after it started being used more, so keep that in mind. But the fact remains you have a one in four chance of drawing a bad hand. Stage three and four patients do not have to consider this, since they usually also have cervical node involvement, or it is assumed since the primary is so large, (having been in place for a longer time to get that way), that cervical mets or infiltration into surrounding tissues is a given, detectable or not. Make the best decision you can with your doctors, chosen from multiple disciplines including radiology, and extensive experience (1000's of patients seen with oral scc). Once you jointly make your call don't look back and worry, and do not spend you time or thoughts trying to second-guess your decision.