I just completed 42 radiation treatments for scc of rt. tonsil(T4N2B)The doctors had wanted to give cisplatin and paclitaxel concurrently, but I refused at the last minute,due to mental issues with chemo (sat with mother through chemo,it only made her suffer more)and the statement made by ENT on day of diagnosis "this type of cancer does not respond well to chemo". This was a very tough personal decision and I fully realize it could have been a bad one. But if you do not believe a treatment will work it probably won't.So far cancer has responded very well to radiation, but must wait for 30 day followup on July 21 to find out how well it worked. Could possibly be facing neck dissection. A word of caution to anyone getting a biopsy,I was first diagnosed in April with T2N1 stage 2 SCC.In a matter of 2 weeks after biopsy I had T4N2B INOPERABLE cancer.The doctor told me he took several large pieces of tissue during biopsy.I will always wonder if a fine needle biopsy would have prevented normally very slow growing cancer from becoming aggresive.

Hi, I had the same question about the biopsy myself. My first was negative, the oral surgeon who my dentist had sent me to twisted my arm to get a second. He really cut a lot out.I can still remember how upset I was that day! Well the Cancer exploded up into my mouth , It grew by the day, Honest to God it was like a science fiction movie. I do not want to scare anyone, this is just something that happened to me. When I got to the ENT , I said this did not look like this 8 or 9 days ago! They rushed me thru a Tumor Board and into surgery so fast I was dizzy. Later I asked him Why? He said he did not know. I said everyone says it was because the tumor was cut into , he said that was what people said in the old days because they could not test and see what was in a person like now and they would get them on the table open them up and have to close right away, they were in bad shape and people would say it was because they cut into it.So I really do not think anything they did made it grow faster. This is a fast growing type all by itself.I do not know about chemo, someone else will have to give that a try , I do know most people try anything they can throw at them to get rid of it. Best of Luck!

I believe that there is truth is what both of you are saying. SCC is a very fast growing cancer (who told you it was slow growing?). What determines the rate of tumor growth in cancer is the tumor finding a good blood supply (which cancer cells are programmed genetically to seek out). I literally watched mine explode in growth both before and after the biopsy. The radiation (IMRT) did a number on it though - by the end of the second week it had totally vanished. My tumor was typed as "moderately well differentiated" and "focally invasive" which was a plus.

I had my Cisplatin chemo cut to 2 and I am very greatful for the doctors decision to do that. My Oncologist stated the it was the radiation that was going to do the job. Even just the 2 treatments were very tough. There are recent studies that challenge the efficacy of Cisplatin for SCC in head and neck tumors -the numbers only add a small margin to the survival rate. See: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press/2002/MAY/020518.htm

It's 100 days since end of treatment today and I am still suffering some side effects. But it gets better all the time.

My origanal ENT told me SCC was a slow growing cancer, that I could come back in two months and it would't look much different.When I called him one week after biopsy to tell him it seemed to be growing like crazy, he dismissed it as post biopsy swelling.When I went back one week after that he was shocked at the growth,and told me it was no longer operable.I asked for second opinion,and diagnosis was confirmed.At that point I fired him and went with 2nd opinion Dr. At this point oral surgeon recomended against removing any teeth as void would fill with tumer,and to start rad as soon as possible.I believe cutting into the monster angered it and encourged it to spread.Why is it that you hear of this happening as often as it does? It may not be very scientific but I would strongly encourage anyone getting a biopsy to ask for fine needle type.