My mom had a tooth that was irritating her tongue for months in 2011 so she finally went and had it removed. The tongue still wasnt getting better so she went to her dr who sent her immediately to an ent and thats where this got serious. Biopsy showed cancer, scc the same cancer that took my gram in march of 2011 (it was also head and neck).
My mom had a surgery in Jan 2012 removed big section of tongue and neck dissection but clear margins. Her tongue just want healing, the ent kept saying it was cause she was allergic to the stitches. Pet scan showed activity on her tongue and neck April 2012. Biopsy of neck and tongue were positive for cancer again. Ent sent her to another surgeon because she said this was beyond her qualifications.
In May 2012 she had another surgery removed more than half of her tongue and total neck dissection. Treatment plan was 30 radiation txs and 6 carbo. Noone can prepare you for that it was horrible she had no peg tube but she managed to make it thru. Follow up Pet scan was good Nov 2012.
Her tongue started to bother her again in Dec 2012. Drs think its just scar tissue from the treatment but its getting more difficult for her to talk and eat. Biopsy of tongue Jan 13 came back negative. Great news!!
Ct scan in Feb 2013 tumor in neck and pet scan showed activity on back of tongue and tumor in neck. Surgeon sent her to a cancer center and the plan is to do Cyberknife and Erbitux. She is so scared of having the mask on again because lately she has been having some trouble breathing when she is laying down.
She has lost about 100 lbs and is really weaked and frail. Im just so worried about how much she is gonna be able to handle.
Is this treatment really horrible?