Hi everyone...

My name is Tim and I was diagnosed with SCC (base of tongue) about 3 weeks ago. It's been quite an emotional few weeks and I'm just starting to settle in with everything that's going on. I'm an active (cycling 150-175 miles/week), non-smoker and have been on a mostly vegetarian diet for the past 3 years. I've accepted the fact that anyone can get cancer for a multitude of reasons or, for no reason at all.

On the first of May, I noticed, almost overnight, that a lump has developed on the left side of my neck. It was about as big as half of a golf ball. I went to my family doctor and she scheduled me for a CT scan and got me an appointment with an ENT doctor. The scan came back showing that I had fluid in the lump; therefore, my ENT doc decided to aspirate the lump and send the fluid to pathology. The results came back negative for the fluid, but the lump filled again the very next day. The ENT doc decided to remove the cyst. His initial diagnosis was that it was a brachial cleft cyst and there was nothing to really worry about - especially since the fluid was "clean."

In early July, he removed the cyst and a lymph node that was "in the way." He sent both specimens to pathology and the results were cancer in both samples.

I had a PET-CT scan, had my left tonsil removed and some biopsies were taken from my tongue. Wow, that whole procedure was far painful than I ever would have imagined. I feel like I have a fairly high pain threshold but I needed Percocet for nine days after!

I've decided to participate in a clinical trial that combines Avastin (bevacizumab) and Docetaxel (taxotere) along with the standard radiation therapy (5x/week for 7 weeks). I will have a PEG tube installed before treatment because of surgery issues with Avastin (would have to stop treatment and wait 28 days before installing a PEG tube). The feeding tube was a big issue for me, but thanks to what I've read here, I feel much better about it.

I look forward to learning as much as possible and trying to help others as I start my treatment.

Regards,
Tim

7/15/08 - Diagnosed SCC stage III - BOT and 1 node, l. tonsilx/node removal 7/21..non-smoker and competitive cyclist/gym-goer - 43 y.o.
8/25/08 - clinical trial protocol begins with bi-lateral IMRT 5x/wk (35) and weekly taxotere and bi-weekly bevacizumab. PEG to be installed before treatment.