Welcome to OCF, Cyndi! Im so sorry you are here as a patient. This must be especially difficult for you being that you work in the H&N cancer field already. What type of job do you do?

Dysplasia commonly returns when its removed. It doesnt always become cancerous. Im very sorry yours has! You are young so hopefully you will be better able to bounce back quickly after your treatments.

If you havent already obtained a second opinion, I would advise you to get one. If you are able to go to a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) for the 2nd opinion, even better. At a CCC, a team based approach will be used to determine the best individual treatment plan after all the tests are done. Isnt staging done after a PET or CT scan to help determine how big the tumor is and if it has spread to any other areas? Surgeons will advise the patient to have surgery, once tissue has been removed it cant get put back. This is another reason why a second opinion is so important.

Best wishes with everything!

Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile