Hi all,

My 73 year old mother had a tumor removed from her tongue about a year ago and followed up with radiation. It took her P.D. around 4 months to figure out the pain in her ear was not an ear inffection. The
E.N.T. had recommended a neck dissection but the radiologist said he thought he could cure it
with radiation and that chemo was not necessary. The cancer spread to her lymph and neck area. She had a neck surgery to
remove a tumor the size of a fist two weeks ago. They were able to remove ~95/97% of the cancer but could not remove it from within her
neck muscle and artery area. The surgeon said she should have more radiation/chemo to try to kill off the remaining cancer. My concern
is that the radiation did not seem to work very well the first time. She had it done in Orlando and I am thinking of
getting her in a comprehensive cancer center where they may have better treatment and possibly some more advanced options
for her next treatment but we are not sure of what to do.

Her current radiologist seems very competent but we want to expore other options. He says he can treat again with more aggressive radiation and maybe some chemo, (he thinks she may not be able to handle much chemo)

Thanks in advance!

Rick

Hello Rick, I am saddened that her primary doctor couldn't have found that out sooner, given her history.

The best long term statistics suggest that a comprehensive cancer center is the way to go. That said you may find that what her radiation onc. is suggesting is in fact the same as what a CCC would suggest. You will only feel better if you get that second opinion. My only concern is that you move quickly on getting that second opinion.

Radiation is effective, I wonder if her recurrant cancer occured outside the area previously treated with radiation?

In any case I wish her and you well.

I'm so sorry for the roller coaster ride you folks have experienced to date. By all means possible get to a major comprehensive cancer center now! They'll have seen more of this type of cancer & be able to draw from a wider base of experience. Stay with us & let us know how she's doing. Erik

Thanks very much for the input!

I believe the re-occurrence did happen where she was previously treated with rad. The one thing that I was wondering about was if the fact that she chose NOT to have a mask made could have comprimised the effectiveness of the rad. They taped her down for the treatments.

We found a satellite office for M.D. Anderson in Orlando and we will be getting her in there for a second opinion very soon if all goes well!

Thanks!
Rick

I was treated at Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, if you want a second opinion I recomend them and they are in the top 10 centers in the Country.

Rick, welcome to the site. Another possible center is the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. It is a distance from Orlando, but they have a free housing center on site. It is another alternative if Tampa or Orlando won't meet your needs.

Thanks all for the info!

She had her second surgery at Selvestor Cancer Center. We now have her setup at M.D. Anderson CCC in Orlando, (we receltly learned they have a facility in Orlando). We feel she has had good treatmeant but she will be better off for her Rad/Chemo in a CCC. It seems like M.D. Anderson really tries to focus on each patient as an individual and they say they have con. calls 2 times with Houston and review patient status and treatmeant.

The cancer that returned was in an area previously treated with Radiation. After meeting with the first rad. onc we decided to switch to M.D. Anderston becaue he is not at a ccc facility and we felt that the first treatmeant was based on his own feeling as opposed to a group approach etc.

I hope we made the right choice to switch.

Thanks,
rick

Rick,

I think you are on the right track with getting a second opinion at MD Anderson. I don't know if not having a mask could have compromised your mother's treatment or not, but I do know that Mark's statement about radiation being effective is not entirely correct. It is true that RAD is effective ........most of the time. Some tumors are just RAD resistant. As we were told by both the RAD oncologist and the surgeon after Heather's death, you can blast some tumors to kingdom come and back and they will still not be eradicated. They believe that Heather's second tumor was growing the entire time she was receiving her RAD treatments. Adding chemo to the treatment regimen makes the tumor more receptive to the RAD, thereby making the RAD more effective.

Rosie

Rick,

I'm not sure whether the lack of a mask would have made a difference. My understanding is that masks weren't even in use when I had radiation (I know I was never given the option), but the treatment still turned out to be pretty effective for me. I suspect it's along the lines of what Rosie said about some tumors being more resistant.

Cathy

Thanks for the info everyone!

I forgot to mention that the most recent pathology report indicated that only one lympth node had cancer and that it had grown to a large mass the size of a fist. The Dr. at MD Anderson said that this node probably had the cancer all along.

Either way it is still worriesome that the RAD was not effective. I hope MD Anderson can come up with a more effective treatmeant.

We are all very hopeful. Mom is feeling much better. I heard the cancer takes alot out of you by your body trying to fight it off.

thanks,
Rick