Rhonda,

Welcome to OCF -- I'm glad you found this site fairly early in the process of dealing with SCC.

Like Jerry, I would recommend that you get an opinion from a head and neck cancer team at a CCC before going ahead with the surgery. After my initial biopsy, my ENT and oral surgeon worked in conjunction with a team at the nearest CCC to evaluate the best course of treatment for me. (Almost immediately after my biopsy, my oral surgeon referred me to a medical oncologist who helped coordinate all the testing before my treatment started, and to this day he remains my primary care physician.) The CCC team (including a couple of oncologists and radiation dentistry specialists) all agreed that a partial glossectomy and neck dissection were the right first step, and depending on the results of that, radiation might be necessary as a follow-on. I was able to go ahead with my treatment knowing the reasons why a group of oncologists with different specialties had come to a consensus about the approach to be taken in my case.

As to the neck dissection, I know it can sound scary, but I found that my scar healed fairly quickly (it really helps to have it closed by someone with strong plastic surgery skills). I had the numbness that Jerry mentioned for some time, but eventually it seemed that all the surrounding nerves repaired themselves and all the sensations in that area returned.

Cathy


Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989