I have trans oral robotic surgery on 5/9 to try to find the primary. (I had a "branchial cleft cyst" removed 3/6 but it was a cystic lymph node with P16+ SCC. Nothing detected by MRI before surgery or PET after. Biopsies done under general anesthesia also came back clear.)

I have asked the team about effects after surgery and the only answer I have received is it will feel like "the worst sore throat of my life."

They will remove residual tonsil tissue, the palatine tonsil, and "denude" an area on BOT, left side (same side as lymph node)

They also claim it is will be a two week recovery time which seems long to me.

Does anyone have experience with TORS? One way I control my anxiety around cancer is getting information. Guess I need some more coping techniques!

Thanks for reading,
Stef


Keep fighting friends!

Me -- currently 53 years old
SCC diagnosed 3/7/2017 at age 48
Staging SCC HPV+ T0,N1 primary unknown
PET 3/16, no activity, biopsies 3/23 benign
TORS surgery identified 2mm tumor in BOT (vallecula)
Cancer restaged T1, N2, M0
Begin 30 sessions of radiation (60 Gy) 6/13
Completed radiation 7/24/2017
1st MRI clear 10/23/2017!!
2nd MRI clear 10/17/2018!