Source of specimen: Tongue lesion

Essential Clinical Data: Left margin. 2 cm x 1 cm.1 month???

Gross Description: Received in formalin labled tongue are several glistening, irregualar shaped, tan, mucosal tissue fragments measuring 0.4x0.3x0.2 cm in aggregate. Submitted in toto in one cassette.

Final Diagnosis: TONGUE LESION BIOPSY:
ULCERATED SQUAMOUS MUCOSA WITH CHRONIC INFLAMATION AND REACTIVE CHANGE. NO DIAGNOSTIC EVIDENCE OF MALIGNACY IS SEEN.

Well, what do YOU ALL THINK???
lIKE I SAY I'M JUST LEARNING. 8 1/2 MONTHS AGO I NEW ZILTCH....

From what I know now, SQUAMOUS MUCOSA, AND REACTIVE CHANGE. THESE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RED FLAGS, DON'T YOU THINK???

Also, don't you think that I should have been advised to have it removed??? While it was benign???

Dr. still wants me to go to Shands at FLA. ST. For consultation.

PLEASE ADVISE.. Thank You, PeteyB.

Petey


Go to Shands, you have been Diag with SCC..What happened in the past ..right or wrong is done ..Now you have a Diag and it needs to be taken care of.....IT IS SCC and yes this kind is INVASIVE..so you need to get on the road to treatment ..That is the best advice.. NOT to sound Harsh ( I am sure alot of us have been through this) But woulda ,coulda , shoulda ..isnt going to help you know..My dr shoulda never cut into it not knowing what it was causing 3 more lesions in 5 days .......but he did and it is over and I got tx. So you have to take what you know for sure today go to the DRs and start TX.. Did they speak of any TX or Staging to you ? Please follow through as time is always of the essence and keep us informed~!

BEST WISHES AND HUGS !

Sharlee

Peter --

In that first biopsy report, "reactive change" indicates that there is a minor change in the appearance of some of the cells. The "reactive change" could simply be due to the inflammation noted.

The term "squamous mucosa" refers ONLY to the type and location of cells examined, and has nothing to do with whether cancer is present.

From the National Cancer Institute's dictionary of cancer-related terms, found at http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/ :

squamous cell: Flat cell that looks like a fish scale under a microscope. These cells cover inside and outside surfaces of the body. They are found in the tissues that form the surface of the skin, the lining of the hollow organs of the body (such as the bladder, kidney, and uterus), and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts.

mucosa: The moist, inner lining of some organs and body cavities (such as the nose, mouth, lungs, and stomach). Glands in the mucosa make mucus (a thick, slippery fluid). Also called mucous membrane.

As for your newest biopsy report: At least you now know for certain what you are dealing with. Seeing the experts at Shands is the prudent thing to do. Your doctor can refer you, or you can call them yourself.

-- Leslie

Just reread some of your previous posts and see that you mentioned that you are about 60 miles north of Miami. That's about how far we are from the doctor my husband sees at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

The University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has a satellite office in Deerfield Beach, about 30 miles from you. Here is information about the services offered for head and neck cancer patients at Deerfield Beach: http://www.sylvester.org/communications/printed_materials/Insert-Head%20%20Neck.pdf

If you want to go the main facility in Miami, here is contact information to make an appointment there: http://www.sylvester.org/contactus/index.asp

Wherever you end up, you want to make sure that it's a place that uses a team approach, with doctors from several different specialties meeting together to consider your case and come up with an individualized treatment plan.

Both Shands and UM/Sylvester would take that approach; so would Moffitt in Tampa.

-- Leslie

Thank You.

Sharlee-Thanks. I have a few questions. I'll send a private message. My wife is devastaed. I do not think she could be a caregiver.

Leslie- Thanks for the info. I'll check them out. My brother lives in Treasure Isle.( St. Pete )
Deerfield is close, but my Dr. feels Shands is the best in the state, and he does his once a year, 2 wk. Continueing ED. there for the past 30 yrs. and knows some Professors, and will call for me. I'm just trying to digest all this.Also, he beleives there's a Ronald Mc Donald House there.
Thank Again, I hope all is well. PeteyB.

PeteyB, Please try to get your wife on this website, or let some of us caregivers call and talk to her. You BOTH need to be in this together and you BOTH will need support. Don't let the fear of the unknown overwhelm you-yes, there is lots to learn and most of it can be handled with some help and support. You've got friends here. Amy in the Ozarks

Did you guys ALL miss "NO DIAGNOSTIC EVIDENCE OF MALIGNANCY IS SEEN."

I honestly don't know what to think since your signature says "Biopsy results 3-21-2007 SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA, WELL TO MODERATELY DIFFERENTIATED, KERATINIZING, INVASIVE."

So which is it? Was the latter also in the pathology report?!?!

It might help (us) to keep all of it organized in one thread as well to better help you.

Hello Gary
I made two posts because I was not sure how much info {typing} you can put in one post.
The above post is a biopsy taken on 6-1-2006.
That was taken 8 1/2 months ago.

Please see the previous post titled
Biopsy=SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA
THIS IS THE 2ND BIOPSY TAKEN ON 3-19-2007.
Sorry for any confusion.

I just do not understand why they did not remove it then??? Or at least tell me to "watch" it???
When it acted up again I just "ASSUMED" my dentures were rubbing it. Only when it would not go away, and it became painful, did I go to the DR. My wife said WHY was I going to the DR. I should be going to the dentist.
SOMEHOW, I just new what is was...
PeteyB

Let's close this post and reference it on the other thread so all the information is clear to those responding.