I was first diagnosed when I was 25... newly married. We just celebrated our first anniversary. It was 2007. I was told it was a very early SCC T1N0M0 moderately differentiated and with a partial glossectomy and selective neck dissection I would be cured. Well, 4 years and two babies later and I have SCC again. Yet again it's early, T1N0M0 poorly differentiated + Tis... I had my partial glossectomy (again) on 5/3/2011 and was feeling pretty good until I just found out a few days ago that my margins are too narrow and in addition to the lesion we saw there was a separate focus of cancer a few mm away... Now they want to do radiation tx.

Can any of you tell me what radiation will be like? No chemo... just the rad. I'm absolutely terrified. I have two small children, a 3 year old little girl and a 10 month old baby boy... My support system is fantastic, but I worry about how I will take care of my children and what will they see their mom going through. I know everyone is different... but do you think I can keep being an active mom or will I need to step back for awhile?

Anyone out there as young as me? I'm only 29... I have a hard time meeting people at a similar point in their lives that are going through this sort of thing.

Thanks for any responders. The more information I can have the better I can prepare my family for what we are all about to go through.


SHERRY - 30

SCC rt lateral tongue 3/07 T1N0M0
Resection & selective neck 3/13/07
RECURRENCE 5/11
SCC rt lateral tongue T1N0M0 & Tis
Resection 5/3/11
Radiation began 6/20/11