in treatment - 01-05-2003 07:37 PM
This site is great and overwhelming in the best way--lots of great info.
I am 37, diagnosed late Oct with squamous cell carcinoma in a lymph node, unknown primary. I happen to be pregnant so only an MRI was done (PET scheduled for after baby), no primary revealed itself. Surgical biopsy/tonsillectomy in November--my surgeon was surprised to find cancer in one of the to-the-naked-eye, healthy looking tonsils and pathologists think that may be the primary (but no guarantees, of course). Neck dissection in December to remove lymph nodes and we were told that if cancer cells were in just one node, we would likely be done with treatment.
We learned that indeed the cancer was in only one node and the margins were clean, however, the margin cancer cells showed an "extra capsular spread". We are consulting with several radiation oncologists but my surgeon indicates that there are arguments for and against radiation therapy for many reasons including my age, likelihood of recurrence and apparently my cancer is not currently treatable with chemo so if I do radiation now and I have recurrence, I may not have a treatment available.
Does anyone have a layman's explanation for extra capsular spread?
Has anyone else had to deal with the choice of treatment? How did you evaluate the risks? It seems that most everyone posting has included radiation and even chemo in their therapy.
Lastly, if I do choose to have the radiation, how debilitating is this? I will have a newborn (plan is to induce baby early and then start radiation 2 days later) and a 2-1/2 year old at home. Will I need even more help after the radiation treatments? We have excellent support but no extended family in the area so I need to make arrangements now.
Any feedback is most appreciated.
I am 37, diagnosed late Oct with squamous cell carcinoma in a lymph node, unknown primary. I happen to be pregnant so only an MRI was done (PET scheduled for after baby), no primary revealed itself. Surgical biopsy/tonsillectomy in November--my surgeon was surprised to find cancer in one of the to-the-naked-eye, healthy looking tonsils and pathologists think that may be the primary (but no guarantees, of course). Neck dissection in December to remove lymph nodes and we were told that if cancer cells were in just one node, we would likely be done with treatment.
We learned that indeed the cancer was in only one node and the margins were clean, however, the margin cancer cells showed an "extra capsular spread". We are consulting with several radiation oncologists but my surgeon indicates that there are arguments for and against radiation therapy for many reasons including my age, likelihood of recurrence and apparently my cancer is not currently treatable with chemo so if I do radiation now and I have recurrence, I may not have a treatment available.
Does anyone have a layman's explanation for extra capsular spread?
Has anyone else had to deal with the choice of treatment? How did you evaluate the risks? It seems that most everyone posting has included radiation and even chemo in their therapy.
Lastly, if I do choose to have the radiation, how debilitating is this? I will have a newborn (plan is to induce baby early and then start radiation 2 days later) and a 2-1/2 year old at home. Will I need even more help after the radiation treatments? We have excellent support but no extended family in the area so I need to make arrangements now.
Any feedback is most appreciated.