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#188657 03-10-2015 02:29 PM
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ak123 Offline OP
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My brother went to his follow up today. He had a cat scan done yeserday. He said he sees a spot on his liver and believes that it liver hemangioma. Also, they think they see a "growth in the left neck which is the opposite side" they scheduled an ultrasound guided fine needle and an mri for the liver. I am so worried! Can someone please help? frown he said according to the report it is the size of my thumbnail and it is not easily dopable. Report says 1.5 cm. has this happened to anyone else?

He said this doesn't happen often. 1.5 cm remanhasining (can't spell the word out) lesion on left side.

Last edited by ak123; 03-10-2015 02:38 PM.

22 YO Brother Dx 6/17/14 w. SCC R Lateral tongue
CT scan clear LN 6/20/14
HPV-, non-smoker
R tongue, right hemiglossectomy Surgery 6/24/14
(Not reoccurrence but went to NCCC instead
R neck dissection, tracheostomy, radial free flap, R tongue dissection surg 8/11/14
PT1N2B.3 positive lymph nodes out of 13
Extranodal extension present
9-15-14 IMRT (35x) & Cisplatin (2x) begun
10-21-14 peg in. 10-31-14 1 round of carboplatin
11-4-14 IMRT rx comp
3-27-15 Recurrent tumor in lymph node, L neck diss.
10-29-15 brother passed away, 23 yrs old
ak123 #188658 03-10-2015 04:30 PM
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So sorry to hear about this latest worrisome news. I just sent you a PM, and I'm sure others will be along whose experience and knowledge can give you more insight on what is happening with your brother. I know how anxious you must be, but do try to keep away from thinking about all the things that could go wrong and just concentrate on everything that could go right. Try to keep busy (your brother, too) Do write down all the questions you or your brother have for the doctors or for anyone here. Your brother has excellent doctors taking care of him and there is every chance for everything to turn out fine. Keep us updated, so we know what's happening.


Anne-Marie
CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)



ak123 #188664 03-11-2015 07:41 AM
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I'm sorry for the latest troubles for your brother. It's possible to FNAB, with ultra sound guidance, a lesion that small. I had smaller, even 3mm x 7mm. I'm not sure of the word your looking for, possibly reminiscent cancer? Although I don't have the same type cancer, mine is oropharyngeal, but I had 7 recurrences in my neck to the same area the past 5 years, and doctors were able to treat. Good luck.


10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs






ak123 #188671 03-11-2015 09:26 AM
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The liver hopefully will not be cancerous. It can spread to there but usually the lungs or thereabouts is the first stop... So hopefully this is nothing. The other side node to me is more concerning. Just before I started rads I had a CT. The Rads dr. didn't readily give me the results even though I asked him at the time. Clearly he hadn't taken the time to look before meeting with me because he sent a resident out to look at them mid meeting and scared the shit out of me. (long story involving my lungs that after all the worrying turned out to be NOTHING) Anyway when asked about my head and neck CT he said it was just to plot my radiation. Imagine my dismay when he actually looked at my scans afterwards, and I got a call at home with him wanting to see me the next morning. Turns out those unimportant scans actually showed a small active node on the opposite side. Knowing that I was very gung ho and motivated he decided to radiate that side as well just to be on the safe side. I later asked my SO about the node - he said likely it wasn't cancerous... (based on location) But I was happy to have nuked it anyway.

It does jump the midline sometimes. Your brother is quite young and likely hypermetabolic. Hopefully they do something. Chances are he may have come down with something (that's what I think in retrospect as I had been in mexico at a resort literally three days before my scan. But better safe than sorry.

This cancer can be quite aggressive in younger people so making certain that any concerns are recognized and acted on is VERY important.
hugs


Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
ak123 #188844 03-23-2015 02:05 PM
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ak123 Offline OP
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Doctor said less than a 1 percent chance of people get affected
Lymph nodes on opposite side. My brother did the needle test and it came out positive for Cancer in the opposite neck! They will need to present this at the tumor board. Most likely he will need a neck dissection on his left side. Feeling really bummed.


22 YO Brother Dx 6/17/14 w. SCC R Lateral tongue
CT scan clear LN 6/20/14
HPV-, non-smoker
R tongue, right hemiglossectomy Surgery 6/24/14
(Not reoccurrence but went to NCCC instead
R neck dissection, tracheostomy, radial free flap, R tongue dissection surg 8/11/14
PT1N2B.3 positive lymph nodes out of 13
Extranodal extension present
9-15-14 IMRT (35x) & Cisplatin (2x) begun
10-21-14 peg in. 10-31-14 1 round of carboplatin
11-4-14 IMRT rx comp
3-27-15 Recurrent tumor in lymph node, L neck diss.
10-29-15 brother passed away, 23 yrs old
ak123 #188848 03-23-2015 07:33 PM
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Im so sorry your brother is facing a recurrence so soon after finishing his treatments.

This time around you both are more knowledgeable of OC and its treatments. If I remember correctly, he is being treated at a CCC.

Hopefully this has been caught very early and will be easily and quickly treated.

Hang in there.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
ak123 #188861 03-24-2015 05:16 PM
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I am sorry to hear this news. I will be thinking and praying for your brother and your entire family.

ak123 #188866 03-24-2015 06:59 PM
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Thank you ChristineB and Virgo for your thoughts and prayers. This left modified neck dissection will make it the 5th time I've been put to sleep so it's 'been there done that' type of mindset for me and it won't be nowhere near as big of a procedure as the partial glossectomy+dissection so this surgery doesn't bother me. I'm scheduled for surgery this Friday March 27th and the things that do concern me are that my ENT said since I've underwent radiation, there are more risk factors while performing a neck dissection...

He said there's a 5% chance they will have to put a trach in because my jaw can't open as wide as it did before, so the anesthesiologist might have troubles getting the tube down my throat to put me to sleep. There's a possibility that they can't put me to sleep in standard fashion, therefore performing a fiber optic intibation in which he will wake me back up to freeze my throat and put the tube in himself to knock me out.

Also if the mass is close to my nerve in my neck, he will have to cut the nerve out and I will have damage to the nerve to the shoulder, and there's a 7/10 chance I'll get the feeling back compared to 9/10 if I did this procedure pre-Rads. I lift weights so this is my biggest concern. Also he said I will be able to work out 7 days post surgery. I'm hoping all goes well and I come out with just a standard neck dissection and call it a day!

Last edited by BrandonK427; 03-24-2015 07:01 PM.

Male, 23 year old�Dx 6/17/14 with SCC R Lateral tongue
CT scan clear lymph nodes 6/20/14
HPV-, form-smoker, casual drinker
Right Hemiglossectomy Surgery 6/24/14
(Not reccurrence but went to NCCC instead)
Right neck diss., trach, radial free flap, right tongue diss. surg 8/11/14
PT1N2B..3 positive lymph nodes out of 13
Extranodal extension present
9-15-14 IMRT (35x) and Cisplatin (2x) begun
10-21-14 peg in. 11-4-14 IMRT rx comp. 1-9-15 peg out
3-27-15 Recurrent tumor in lymph node, Left neck diss.
10-29-15 passed away
ak123 #188867 03-24-2015 07:20 PM
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You got this, Brandon! Keep your good attitude. I will light a candle for you Friday. Exactly what time is your surgery? Please have Sister update us as soon as possible, however, I live by the motto "no news is good news", so no worries if it takes her a while.





"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Blanche, Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire"
ak123 #188868 03-24-2015 07:23 PM
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Best wishes for your surgery, Brandon. I hope the anaesthetist can intubate you without too much trouble. I really hope the shoulder nerve gets just a temporary shock and that you are back lifting weights ASAP. Your fitness will be of benefit as you recover.


1996, ovarian cancer surgery + cisplatin and taxol.
September, 2007, SCC of left lateral tongue. Excision.
October, 2009 recurrence in scar tissue, T1NOMO. Free flap surgery from left wrist - neck dissection. 63 year old New Zealander. No chemo, no RT.
February, 2014. New primary in left buccal mucosa. Marginal mandibulectomy, neck dissection, right arm free forearm flap. T1N0M0 but third occurrence and some areas of concern: RT started 8 April and finished 19 May.
ak123 #188871 03-24-2015 09:11 PM
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Brandon, you can do this. I know there are a lot of what ifs and maybes, but it
will all go well. Kris had an awake intubation for his first neck dissection. He doesn't really remembered it thanks to the drugs - Midazolam. This surgery too was post the radiation. Make sure you get onto the physiotherapy as soon as you can. This will really help those neck and shoulder muscles get back working again.
Thinking of you,
Tammy


Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!
ak123 #188874 03-25-2015 04:32 AM
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The anesthesiologist has a few ways to put patients to sleep, even those with limited mouth openings. Im in that category and have had countless surgeries. In my case the doc uses a tiny tube to go up thru my nose to knock me out. Its a very simple procedure. Im sure this wont be a major obstacle for your surgery.

Wishing you all the best with your surgery.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
ak123 #188885 03-26-2015 07:06 AM
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Good luck with your surgery! I'll be having mine tomorrow too. Twice the anesthesiologist had to intubate me through the nostrils due to trismus. I was also scheduled for a MRND my first dissection, and they had to do a radical due to everything being all twisted up from prior radiation. Even with that I was still able to lift my arms overhead, after healing, until later surgeries and additional radiation. Sometimes the stitches are kept in longer in the radiated tissue due to delayed healing, sometimes 2 weeks longer than the usual 7.


10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs






ak123 #188886 03-26-2015 01:31 PM
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Thank you Paul I wish everything goes as planned with your surgery as well, and for it to be as smooth sailing as possible, my ENT said that he will keep staples and stitches in for 10 days due to the slower healing process this time around. May the lord clear us from this disease for once and for all! You're a soldier for having to deal with it 7x and keeping strong! I'm hoping I can due the overhead motions as well and that the Cancer didn't spread to the nerve of the shoulder.


Male, 23 year old�Dx 6/17/14 with SCC R Lateral tongue
CT scan clear lymph nodes 6/20/14
HPV-, form-smoker, casual drinker
Right Hemiglossectomy Surgery 6/24/14
(Not reccurrence but went to NCCC instead)
Right neck diss., trach, radial free flap, right tongue diss. surg 8/11/14
PT1N2B..3 positive lymph nodes out of 13
Extranodal extension present
9-15-14 IMRT (35x) and Cisplatin (2x) begun
10-21-14 peg in. 11-4-14 IMRT rx comp. 1-9-15 peg out
3-27-15 Recurrent tumor in lymph node, Left neck diss.
10-29-15 passed away
ak123 #188887 03-26-2015 01:41 PM
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Virgo my surgery will start at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time Tomorrow morning and should take about 4 hours. Thank you for the candle lighting and prayers ahead of time, they are greatly appreciated!

And thank you for the self esteem boost, the thoughts and support that you all have given me. May you have success in all of your future endeavors. My sister will keep you updated on how the surgery goes.


Male, 23 year old�Dx 6/17/14 with SCC R Lateral tongue
CT scan clear lymph nodes 6/20/14
HPV-, form-smoker, casual drinker
Right Hemiglossectomy Surgery 6/24/14
(Not reccurrence but went to NCCC instead)
Right neck diss., trach, radial free flap, right tongue diss. surg 8/11/14
PT1N2B..3 positive lymph nodes out of 13
Extranodal extension present
9-15-14 IMRT (35x) and Cisplatin (2x) begun
10-21-14 peg in. 11-4-14 IMRT rx comp. 1-9-15 peg out
3-27-15 Recurrent tumor in lymph node, Left neck diss.
10-29-15 passed away
ak123 #188891 03-26-2015 05:52 PM
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Brandon,

I've been reading your recent posts and had heard of your situation initially through your sister. Sorry I didn't comment sooner to welcome you to the forum, but I have been keeping you in my prayers since the beginning.

I'm really sorry you are facing more surgery. It sounds like you have a great group of doctors and an awesome family - both key to helping you get through this.

Wishing you the best tomorrow. I will be watching for an update from your sister.


Susan

SCC R-Lateral tongue, T1N0M0
Age 47 at Dx, non-smoker, casual drinker, HPV-
Surgery: June 2005
RT: Feb-Apr 2006
HBOT: 45 in 2008; 30 in 2013; 30 in 2022 -> Total 105!
Recurrence/Surgeries: Jan & Apr 2010
Biopsy 2/2011: Moderate dysplasia
Surgery 4/2011: Mild dysplasia
Dental issues: 2013-2022 (ORN)
ak123 #188901 03-27-2015 08:23 AM
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Posts: 286
"OCF Down Under"
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Aussie prayers for you Brandon. Stick with it mate.


Cheers, Dave (OzMojo)
19Feb2014 Diagnosed T2N2bM0 P16+ve SCC Tonsil.
31Mar2014 2 Cisplatin, 70gy over 7 weeks (completed 16May2014)
11August2014 PET/CT clear.
17July2019 5 years NED.
ak123 #188909 03-27-2015 08:02 PM
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Thinking of you.


"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

Blanche, Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire"
ak123 #189063 04-08-2015 12:45 PM
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"OCF Canuck"
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Hope your surgery went well and you are on the mend. this cancer can be aggressive. Are they talking about doing radiation on that side of your neck. You might be a candidate because it sounds like they didn't do it the first time. (they rarely do it bilaterally if there is no indication it should be done) hugs and healing vibes coming your way.


Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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