| | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 63 "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP  "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 63 | Hello all
I saw my surgeon today and a radical neck dissection is scheduled for this coming Monday.My PET scan showed the cancer has not spread anywhere else..it is just confined to the neck area. My doctor wants to approach this aggressively and I will have chemo plus radiation after a month post surgery.Am I scared? Heck yes!! But, being part of this forum has given me hope and the will to fight for my life. I have decided to stop looking at statistics and odds..instead I look at the number of survivors here.
Thank you everyone for welcoming me into this family. Please continue to remember me in your prayers.
Liza
SCC of the Buccal Mucosa (R cheek)- T1N0M0.10 hour Surgery on 27/9/10 involving resection with freeflap from radial forearm..clear margins. Neck dissection..negative nodes.Trachy, NGT, no rad or chemo needed at the time. Neck lump positive for SCC..again! MND 14/2/11. Waiting to have chemo and rads
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | Good for you, Liza!
When you have two lists of stuff to look at - i.e. all the things that could go wrong (the bad list) OR - all the things that could go right, (the good list) you may as well choose to look at the good list and all the good people here that have survived what you are going through. When my son was diagnosed with his cancer, as we were walking out of the exam room, one of his interns looked at me and said the my son's surgeon was very "aggressive" in his treatment of patients and I am so very glad he was just that kind of doctor. Prayers going your way, right now!
Anne-Marie
CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 | I am glad my surgeon was agressive as well. He's not all warm and fuzzy, but he is very direct and has been very straight-forward with me.
Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 | I would question the need for a RADICAL neck dissection since you are schedule for a full course of radiation with chemo.
Normally the chemo/radiation is highly effective against cancer in the lymph nodes and if a post-treatment PET/CT reveals any remaining suspicious nodes those can be removed with a less invasive selective ND.
Is there a 'tumor board' involved with this decision? Surgeons like to cut, but an RO and MO specialized in OC and chemo/radiation needs to agree that this necessary.
Extensive ND's can have significant adverse effects and with chemo/RT are not that common anymore at major CCC's.
Don
TXN2bM0 Stage IVa SCC-Occult Primary
FNA 6/6/08-SCC in node<2cm
PET/CT 6/19/08-SCC in 2nd node<1cm
HiRes CT 6/21/08
Exploratory,Tonsillectomy(benign),Right SND 6/23/08
PEG 7/3/08-11/6/08
35 TomoTherapy 7/16/08-9/04/08 No Chemo
Clear PET/CT 11/15/08, 5/15/09, 5/28/10, 7/8/11
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Glad you are going right away for your surgery. Im also happy you are part of OCF. You have so many friends here praying for you. I will keep you in my prayers. Please make sure you have a friend or family member keep us updated either here or on FB. Thanks! ((((HUGS))))
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | |
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