Hi Paul! Good to know that your CT/PET was clear.

Thank you so much for answering my questions. It means a lot to me.


My Friday's visit to the doctor resulted in the following conversation:

  • Depth of tumour is 6mm (>5mm) and PNI is present, therefore they have decided to go forward with radiotherapy which the doctor said will be 5 days/week for 5 weeks (25 days in total)
  • I asked him that since there isn't any detectable tumour present then how will we know even after radiotherapy whether or not it has been effective. Doctor said that radiotherapy is only to decrease the chances of recurrence.
  • I asked him about the side effects he said: discoloration of the area where radiotherapy is done and dryness of mouth. I asked if the side effects will be permanent, he said they employ techniques to ensure from their end that the side effects are temporary.


To me it seems that the side effects will be visible immediately however I won't be able to measure the positive effects.

Is there something I should watch out for, Paul?

After your first radiotherapy, do you happen to remember what were the side effects? Did you have any permanent side effects from that first radiotherapy treatment? I will ask the doctor about the possibility of those side effects then.

Any relevant questions that I am missing, which I should be asking the doctor?

Kind regards

Son of patient with moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
Histopathological report results post surgery which involved resection of tongue with sufficient margins and neck dissection upto level IV:
Staging: pT1N0M0
Margins are clear, so are nodes
PNI present
Degree of keratinization is moderate
Brynes infiltrating pattern 3

"Impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way, becomes the way." - Marcus Aurelius