Hi my name is Karen - last March I was diagnosed with SCC tumor on my tongue. In April 2007 I had a glossectomy and a total neck dissection. Following that chemotherapy and radiotheray for 6 weeks.

The radiotherapy has severely damaged my jaw bone, now I will be requiring a bone graft from my hip bone to try to fix my jaw bone. They will also be attempting to improve the front movement of my "tongue flap", as I am still unable to eat anything that doesn't have the same consistency as soup - 12 months on. I still have a PEG tube in. Just wondering whether anyone else has had a similar problem following radiotherapy and how you have dealt with the complications.

Thanks for any assistance you can give me - surgery has been scheduled for 3 week.

Regards Karen



46 yrs:
Apr 07-SCC 80% entire tongue removed,T4N1M0
Neck/D,Jaw Split, Trache 2 ops,PEG 3.5yrs
30 x rad,6 x Cisplatin,
30 x HBO
Apr'08- flap Recon + ORN Mandibulectomy
(hip bone to reconstruct jaw)
Oct'08 1 Plate out-jaw
Mar'09 Debulk flap
Sep'09/Jan&Nov'10/Feb&Jun'11/Jan&Jul'12/Oct'13/April'14-More surgery