Hello all, My 41/yo daughter has SCCA of left rear tongue - non-smoker, doesn't drink, works out, healthy. The path report on biopsy says "poorly differentiated SCC" & carcinoma extends into skeletal muscle. It sure doesn't sound very promising but dr says it's in early stage even tho it's taken 5 months and 4 doctors to diagnose it. MRI doesn't show any 'obvious' tumor in lymph nodes but we won't know for sure until neck dissection on 10/16. He will also do margins at that time. He says she will have rad/chemo only if nodes aren't clear. Doesn't the poorly differentiated tend to mean that metastisis is probable? And he said if she does have radiation that her salivary glands would be destroyed permanently. Does everyone who has rad lose the salivaries?
Bonnie