Today on 9/23/14 my mother had a salvage surgery to remove the cancer from the floor of her mouth and neck area. As the doctor opened my mother up it was just to much spread. He said there were no clear margins at all. The doctor did remove the tumor from the neck area but he said the cancer cells had spread so much throughout the inside of her cheak and neck area that it was just to much to cut out. The cancer is not far from reaching her throat area also. So the doctor closed my mother up and explained to the family that Chemo would be the only option and hope. We are so upset but will not stop trying. Does anybody out there think that maybe the Chemo will kill these cancer cells and stop the spreading of it. We are praying hard for my mom.

Sweetpe, I am truly sorry to hear this news. This disease is such a beast.
So I gather that the surgeon was only able to debulk the tumour- remove as much of the mass as he could. Therefore there are many remaining cancerous cells. Chemo alone will not cure this cancer. It is only a palliative option to extend life. That being said, I hope that your Mother will get a long period of quality life. A time that you can all make memories. A time to love each other.
I know that this is not what you were wanting, just the worst outcome for all of you. Allow yourself to cry and grieve, that's normal.
I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.
Tammy

Tomyonk
Thanks for your reply

Yes that is exactly what happened. The surgeon removed what he could and yes there were to many remaining cancer cells to continue . The surgical Oncologist has now referred us to a Oncologist where Chemo may be an option. After my mothers first surgery "Mandibulectomy" she just had Radiation treatments not Chemo with it. Now this time Chemo might be an option were told. But I'm so afraid for my mother to take the Chemo because of how sick it makes you . We just don't know where to turn at this point.

Sorry for your troubles, Sweetpe. Chemo may eliminate, make smaller, or slow down the spread of cancer, although each person, age, type of cancer, stage, extent, type of chemo is different in everyone, it's difficult to say it will or for how long it will last, and extent of side effects. I only had 5 days of induction chemo in 2009, after initial cancer diagnosis, that eliminated my cancer completely in my tonsil, and two positive lymph nodes, as noted by PET/CT scan 8 months later. Unfortunately, this particular combination "usually" doesn't last long, less then a year, before cancer comes back, and it did, but not in the tonsil ever again.

I hope this helps, and your family finds some type of treatment that is doable, beneficial, probably palliative, with least toxicities. There are many type combinations being used, some with targeted therapies that are not as harsh on the body.

Best wishes.

Hi,

So sorry about the surgery failing to remove the cancer. Chemo being the next and only option seems right given what her recent history of treatments has been.

There are different kinds of chemo, so generate less side effects than others. Erbitux is generally easier than Cisplatin for example.

Chemo can shrink tumors and even kill small microscopic tumors but if the surgeon visually saw what he left behind, chemo might shrink it but not kill it. In my case, chemo basically made the tumors disappear but not kill the cancer completely so I had full rads after the chemo.

Chemo treatment can be really rough or really nothing as in my case. The induction chemo (TPF - Taxotere, Cisplatin, and 5-FU) was very hard. Later Carboplatin given concurrent with rads did not affect me at all.

I hope you find the right treatment to offer good quality of life for her while beating down the beast as best as is possible.

Don

Thank you all so much for the replies it helps so much to talk to someone who has been down the same road. I feel more encouraged about the chemo now . If it could at least prolong my moms life then its worth it. My prayers go out to each and everyone of you.
Heidi

Update
My mom is still in the hospital. Hopefully in a day or two she will be home. The doctors are talking about starting Chemo in about 3 weeks. Do you all think that is to long of a wait to start the Chemo? We are so afraid of more spreading.

I'm so sorry your mother will be going thru this! Oral cancer can be a very fast moving cancer. Two weeks would be better than waiting for 3 weeks but it shouldn't make too much of a difference. Ask the doc why 3 weeks?


best wishes!