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#20558 06-13-2006 07:17 AM
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sharond Offline OP
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My name is Sharon and I was diagnosed with oral cancer in April. I sure haven't been given much information from my doctors, so have to guess at my cancer stage. According to the biopsy report (I had to demand a copy), I have:

Left soft palate lesion, invasive, moderately-differentiated squamous CC arising from highly dysplastic surface mucosa; tumor invades to at least 4 mm below the surface, and is transected at the deep margin of the biopsy; negative for vascular or perineural tumor invasion.

Left retromolar trigone lesion, extensive in situ squamous CC and dysplasia of the oral mucosa; negative for invasive carcinoma.

Left tonsillar fossa, benign reactive squamous mucosa with underlying dense submucosal scarring; negative for dysplasia of the surface mucosa and negative for any invasive carcinoma in the underlying scar tissue.

So, I assume the soft palate biopsy indicates a T2 level, while the retromolar biopsy indicates a Tis level? Don't know what to make of the tonsillar biopsy. But I definitely like seeing all of those "negative for invasive" phrases!

I'm to be given the 7-week radiation routine plus "a few" chemo treatments (no one will be specific!). All docs say because of location, surgery is not an option.

Had a PEG stomach tube installed first week of May, still having problems with pain/infection, so they're removing and installing a 2nd tube today (mid-June).

I'm finding more information on this forum than I've gotten from my doctors (either written or oral). What a Godsend! Reading some of your posts on what you've undergone and are going through makes me feel a whole lot better about this.

#20559 06-13-2006 01:19 PM
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Hi Sharon,

I'm sorry that you have joined us but you will find support here. It's a great source of information. I hope that the peg tube went well today, that's the only way Jack was able to maintain his hydration/nutrition during the radiation and chemo.

Good luck with everything and keep asking questions until you get answers that make sense to you.

Regards JoAnne


JoAnne - Caregiver to husband, cancer rt. tonsil, mets to soft palate, BOT, 7 lymph nodes - T3N2BM0, stage 4. Robotic assisted surgery, radical neck dissection 2/06; 30 IMTX treatments and 4 cycles of cisplatin completed June 06.
#20560 06-13-2006 02:29 PM
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 928
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Hello Sharon and welcome.
I hope you will do better now they are replacing that PEG.
You have quite a road ahead of you and we wish you the very best.
Take Care
Marica


Caregiver to husband Pete, Dx 4/03 SCC Base of Tongue Stage IV. Chemo /Rad no surgery. Treatment finished 8/03. Doing great!
#20561 06-14-2006 01:19 AM
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 207
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Hi Sharon,

Take it one day at a time. It is a rough road, but is completely doable. I hope you have some support network set up.

Steve


SCC, base of tongue, 2 lymph nodes, stage 3/4. 35 X's IMRT radiation, chemo: Cisplatin x 2, 5FU x2, & Taxol x2. Hooray, after 3 years I'm in still in remission.
#20562 06-14-2006 03:16 PM
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Hello, Sharon, I just want to wish you the best as you start your treatment.Please tell us more about yourself so we'll know who we are talking with. We have an "Orchid Lady" here in Cherokee Village who is fairly famous- her name is Sidney Nisbit and she developed a new orchid several years ago. I know you are having fun with yours. They are such beautiful plants and so challanging. You are going to have a few new challanges ahead and I know OCF will help. Amy


CGtoJohn:SCC Flr of Mouth.Dx 3\05. Surg.4\05.T3NOMO.IMRTx30. Recur Dx 1\06.Surg 2\06. Chemo: 4 Cycles of Carbo\Taxol:on Erbitux for 7 mo. Lost our battle 2-23-07- But not the will to fight this disease

:
#20563 06-15-2006 04:13 AM
Joined: Apr 2004
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Sharon,

Welcome to this site -- I'm glad you were able to find it fairly early in your cancer journey.

I was interested to see that you grow orchids -- that happens to be a hobby that I got into after I was done with cancer treatments, and I love watching them bloom in my sunroom in New England in the winter when everything else is dormant.

Please feel free to post your questions here as you go along. You'll find a great deal of support and information.

Cathy


Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989
#20564 06-18-2006 07:29 AM
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sharond Offline OP
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Hi, Amy! Yeah, orchids are my obsession, uh, hobby. I've been growing them for many years now, just for pleasure, not for sale. I do have a web site where I post pictures of the ones that have bloomed, guess it's OK to put the address on the forum? It's www.sdahldtp.com, the "com" is only because I set up the site when that was about all that was available, before any of the "net" or other classifications came about.

I pray that the treatments don't wipe me out to the point where I can't care for the orchids for several months, but with only "a few" chemo treatments (they say), perhaps I'll not be knocked down quite so hard?

DH and I are retired, heading into our 60's. Just downsized and moved from the southern Califoria area to the mountain area very near Yosemite in California. Makes getting to the nearest large town for advanced medical care a bit more difficult, but it's still doable.

Thanks for making me feel welcome on this forum!!

Sharon

#20565 06-18-2006 02:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,676
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Sharon, I'm wanting to see your orchids, but the web address won't work for me. How is your new peg working? We can relate to "getting there for treatment" John's hospital, surgeon and rad. txs were a 3 hr. drive one way. Hope yours is shorter! Amy


CGtoJohn:SCC Flr of Mouth.Dx 3\05. Surg.4\05.T3NOMO.IMRTx30. Recur Dx 1\06.Surg 2\06. Chemo: 4 Cycles of Carbo\Taxol:on Erbitux for 7 mo. Lost our battle 2-23-07- But not the will to fight this disease

:
#20566 06-18-2006 02:56 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,552
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Hi Sharon,
That's the most beautiful collection of orchids I've ever seen - My uncle was really into that - he even had a steam heated greenhouse.


Gary Allsebrook
***********************************
Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
________________________________________________________
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
#20567 06-20-2006 05:05 AM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 13
sharond Offline OP
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Sorry, Amy, the trailing comma "caught" in the web address. Try www.sdahldtp.com and see if this one works for you better.

The orchids are just starting to rebound after their maltreatment for the past year. I sure look forward to my weekend "retreat."

The 2nd PEG tube is so incredibly better than the first one! Healing slowly, still have a huge bruise around the incision and it's sore (more so as the day wears on), but it's getting there. Am ready to contact my assorted doctors today to get the ball rolling on treatment again.

Sharon

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