Posted By: Barry Keith Help/Advice on Recurrence - 10-22-2009 02:14 AM
Like others, after surgery/treatment I thought I had it licked, cut out, burnt out, start healing. Was feeling pretty good.
Getting ready to go through second surgery, SCC not present in Sept., but present on Oct 15 check up?
Don't know much about this stuff, does this sound like a normal progression? Show up so quickly? Questions I should ask?---they'll want to rush me to surgery to cut this out.
Thanks...appreciate a support site..don't know where else to turn....
Posted By: Pandora99 Re: Help/Advice on Recurrence - 10-22-2009 02:57 AM
There are many types of radiation and I would certainly pursue that angle. I had radiation twice, and amost 2 years since my 2nd surgery/radiation I am still here.

The question out how quickly it shows up is a good one. My thought is that it does not develop overnight - just a matter of whether they FIND it. Perhaps it was there before in undetectable traces, or perhaps a biopsy was done but they took the wrong side of the spot, or perhaps the pathologist was a dingbat. Unless someone else has some concrete answers to this, my take on it is that we just don't know.

When I was diagnosed for the 2nd time my words were "hit me with your best shot". Do whatever needs to be done. I am too young to just roll over and die, and other than the cancer, I was physically relatively healthy. Tell them that you want aggressive treatment - none of this "wait and see" which I am NOT a fan of.

You didn't say where the 2nd spot was so that will certainly play a huge factor in how they treat the cancer this time.

Keep posting - we are here for you.

Donna
Posted By: Barry Keith Re: Help/Advice on Recurrence - 10-22-2009 03:10 AM
Thanks Donna,
I've only had two biopsys. The first on 10/08.
I was too scared to get all the info when I was first diagnosed. That was when I said "hit me with your best shot", hoping and praying that would be the first and last time.
The spot found this time was towards the back roof of my mouth, very close to where first one was found.
I understand that chemo isn't too helpful with these SCC cancers.
Barry
Posted By: nancys2 Re: Help/Advice on Recurrence - 10-22-2009 04:49 AM
Barry, are you going to a Comprehensive Cancer Center for treatment? How did they pick up this latest lesion? I don't know that much about radiation for second rounds but I'm sure someone in this group knows the answer or has had the same experience.
Hopefully this will be your second and last time of going through this,
keep us posted
Posted By: Barry Keith Re: Help/Advice on Recurrence - 10-22-2009 07:01 AM
Nancy, I'm in Hawaii and as a military retiree I go to Tripler Army Medical Center for treatment. I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've been told they are the best in the pacific for this sort of thing.
They picked this up during one of my normal monthly check ups (for the first year I'm seen on a monthly basis by ENT). The dr found a soft spot and had a biopsy taken....
I go in for PET/CT in the morning, they'll schedule me for surgery shortly after review all and coming up with a treatment plan.
Thanks for your response.
Barry
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