Hello Lisa,

Regarding the nodes, especially the 1.9 cm one, you may want to ask the doctor, if it could be biopsied through Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA).

The FNA is done by penetrating the node with the needle of a syringe and than extracting some of the node cells with the syringe. Usually 3 to 4 biopsy samples are taken. The cells can than be evaluate for cancer by the doctor.

FNAs however are not 100 percent accurate because the biopsy samples could be taken from a part of the node where there are no cancer cells.

There are benefits to the neck dissections:
1) The nodes are removed and with them any cancer cells that they may contain.

2) A pathologist will evaluate the nodes for the presence of cancer cells which will be used for staging the disease.

3) Survival rates improve when neck dissections are done and this is purely statistical.

CG to wife;
Jan 2005 DX SCC Tongue T2N1MO; RND surgery Mar 2005; 35 XRT and 4 cisplatin completed Jul 2005.
Dec 2006 tongue surgery, Scar tissue no cancer.
Feb 2010 neck node FNA - negative.
2010 ORN right jaw plus fracture
2015 ORN left jaw plus fracture
Feb 2016 Lower jaw reconstruction by Fibula free flap+titanium plate - Permanent G-tube
June 2016 Difficulty breathing - Permanent Trachea tube
Dec 2019 DX Cervical cancer - Stage 1 - Surgery Jan 16 2020.
15-20 esophagus/larynx dilations