My name is Jay, I'm 34 years old and I was diagnosed with SCC on left side of tongue Jan. 2003. I had a partial glossectomy with clean margins Feb. 2003.

I have never smoked, chewed or consumed alcohol heavily.

My doc counseled against radiation for fear of crossing that bridge too early. Now, after one of my 3 month observations, I am hurrying back to the doc with what I believe to be a new tumor in the same location and a sore throat.

Somehow I thought(hoped) I could "cut and run" away from this.

I now plan to seek a second opinion something I didn't do initially.

I will say this, after 3 weeks of swishing and drinking 4-6 cups of green tea a day, a patch of leukoplakia has shrunk tremendously. What I believe to be the tumor is more or less unchanged.
The tea has given me at least a small feeling I can fight back.

I hope this finds you well.


Jay

Think positive Jay - it might just be thrush! The sore throat could be related to that also.

Welcome to the club no wants to join Jay. I hope your concerns turn out to be nothing serious. Almost everyone who goes thru radiation gets thrush. It's natural to think every sore or pain in the surgical area is bad news, Most of the time it's not. Heed Gary's advice and try and stay positive.

Good Luck, Dan

Jay, I agree with Gary. Remain positive and continue with the green tea......after all it can't hurt.
David

Thanks guys,

Thing is, I haven't had radiation. This seems like oral cancer symptoms found in throat.

I'll let you know tomorrow.


Jay

Hi
Jay try and stay positive.. lets us know as soon as you can... Prayers and hugs
Helen

Jay,

It sounds from your original message as though you've been seeing one doctor thus far. One of the things you can find over and over on this site is that people highly recommend getting a comprehensive and balanced review of their case by an experienced team representing various specialties (surgery, radiation, chemo).

Based on personal experience, I have to advocate that approach. Early on when I was having symptoms, I had conversations with several individual doctors (not oncology specialists) who thought the sore on my tongue was -- at worst -- a benign tumor that could be easily removed. (I also am a lifelong non-smoker and was diagnosed at age 39.) It was only when a team of oncology doctors looked thoroughly at the biopsy results that I received a full and accurate diagnosis and a strong recommendation of both surgery and radiation.

Obviously, I can't tell you what the right course of treatment is for you, but please be sure to get your advice from a team at a major cancer center.

Cathy

Jay: No one can point a finger and say Smoking caused your cancer or eating too much sugar caused your cancer. We know that tobacco is a potential carcinogen. But, we are subjected to thousands of potential carcinogens daily. I was a smoker and always said I would never quit, I enjoyed it too much. But, while in treatment, I got up one day and just did not have a taste for cigarettes. Economically it is a blessing, I never realized how much money was going up in smoke.
Doctors and second opinions,,, It is you right to get as many opinions as you require to feel satisfied. If a doctor has a problem with that then you were definately right to seek another opinion
Darrell

Jay,

Welcome! Just remember, it aint cancer until they can prove it through a biopsy. I know it is easier to say this than to live it. Every little thing in my neck or throat worrys the heck out of me, too. Seek out the answers.

I used to spend a bit of time in Louisville around Butchertown when we bought the old Armor Pork Plant. I really loved staying at the Gault House (the old section).

I am also a green tea connoisseur. My father is a pharmacist and his organic chemistry professor wrote a book about green tea that was very informative. I have found the absolute best Japanese green tea in the world. As a matter of fact, I order it here in the US and ship it to relatives in Japan. They live about 200 miles from where it is grown and can not buy it there. My uncles tell me I am very famous in Japan because I have brought the best tea. What a hoot!

Wishing you the best on your discovery mission!

Ed

Other Opinions help. My surgeon just said to do surgery, the same Hospital Oncologist said Radiation, I went to another Hospital and luckily they had a team (surgureon, oncologist, dentist) and they said all said radiation. So 2 or three opinions swayed me to radiation. After I learned more about this disease. Am I glad I went radiation to reduce the spread chances!!!!!

Ed..please give us name of green tea ...I love the stuff!
Thanks Marica

A physician acquaintance of mine was diagnosed with very bad lung cancer a few years back and investigated everything he could find regarding cancer. He is still with us and doesn't look bad. Anyway, I asked him what he does and he said that he takes "Super Green Tea Extract" capsules from the Life Extension Foundation.(lef.org). He said that since the capsules are so concentrated, you get much more benefit than you can ever get from just drinking green tea.

I don't know if it works, but I have been taking about four of them every day.

Best of luck Jay,

Danny G.

Hello Jay! Welcome!

I hate to say welcome to another person, but you have truly found a wonderful place. You are not alone. I too had cancer on the left part of my tongue and doctors opted out of radiation because the cancer was so small. I guess they left one tiny cell behind and 4 months later I had 2 cm tumor in my tongue. Please be diligent and watchful and don't let too much time pass before getting some help. I would say seek out a multi-disciplinary cancer center. Typical treatment consists of surgery followed by radiation and sometimes chemo with radiation.

Mine consisted of chemo first to attempt to shrink the tumor, then surgery, the chemo/radiation for 6 weeks.

The radidation was much tougher than the surgery recovery because it lasts so long.

Please let me know if I can help in any way. We are here for you whenever you need us.

God Bless
Lynn

Hello Jay. Glad you found us as this forum is a fabulous resource. I too am a green tea advocate and try to drink at least two cups a day. As most folks will say, one of the best things you can do is get a second opinion from a large cancer center with experience with this type of cancer. Good luck with that and keep us posted.

-Brett

Here is some more detailed information about green tea from the American Cancer Society Complementary and Alternative Therapies page

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Green_Tea.asp?sitearea=ETO

Marica,

The tea is Sencha Hiki. It is the first pluck or the first harvest of the spring from the Wakayama Province near the oldest and most sacred buddhist temple in Japan, from the Hiki Garden. If you know much about Japanese tea, Gyokuro is the finest grade and Sencha is the next. However, this tea is absolutely the best tasting green tea. It is really cool to see Japanese drink this tea and their eyes light up with joy! It should be heated to 140 degrees and steeped from between one minute to one and a half minutes. The main place to get it is www.specialteas.com and it is a little pricier than most green tea at $37.90 per quarter pound but well worth it. I hope you enjoy it. I would agree the green tea extract gives you an advantage in concentration of polyphenols and other elements such as ECGC. There are 19 total elements identified in green tea with many benefits from each. I just love the taste and Sencha Hiki is the greatest of all tastes.

Ed

Thanks Ed...Sencha Hiki...I can`t wait to try it.
Cheers Marica

Marica,

I talked so much about it, I had to order some more and it just got here today! I even ordered some more for my uncle in Japan. I will send it to him Monday. I am now sipping on the world's finest Japanese green tea!

:rolleyes:

Ed