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