hi, just want to ask about SCC well differentiated. my mother was diagnosed with SCC well differentiated of the right lateral of tongue. she had her surgery last Aug 20, 2012 removal of lesion on her tongue and removal of lymph node at submandibular region. the result of her biopsy of the tongue and lymph node is SCC well diff .6 cm depth of penetration, 2 planes resection (+), basal plane (-) with metastasized in 1/2 lymph node.. can you please tell what is stage of my mother and what is her prognosis.The doctor told us it was Stage 3.

Stage 3? Sounds like 2... Stage 2 is supposedly a tumor between 2-3 cm (not sure what size your mother's was - you said .6 cm deep... But width matters too) and 1-2 nodes involved - anything above that is a stage 3 . Well differentiated is generally less aggressive (slower moving) because the cells are still very similar to your mother's own cells. Moderate - less similar moderately aggressive - poorly differentiated - nothing like your moms own cells and very aggressive - fast moving.

Poorly differentiated is easier to kill because the cells are poorly formed therefore more susceptible to treatment (chemo and radiation) but harder to catch - moderately differentiated middle of the road - well diff is a little harder to kill (without doing more damage to your mom's own cells they do eventually recover) - but usually stays in one place longer so it's a little easier to catch.

Not sure what kind of medical system is in the phillipines, but his cancer is nothing to mess with. First line of defense is surgery by a good surgeon (someone who is top notch and very experienced with head and neck cancer.) Second line - because she has had one lymph node involved radiation and chemo should be offered and taken. If you have comprehensive cancer centers in your country get to one .

Prognosis ? you can read the stats but the truth is stage one people can eventually die and stage 4 can survive. It depends on a lot of things - a person's overall health, treatment given, age, demeanor (attitude does make a difference) activity level, nutrition (you are what you eat and healing and fighting cancer requires good nutrition) and most importantly - medical care - a good dr. or team of drs who know their stuff.

No one can tell your mother what will happen - no matter how educated they are. They can only guess.

That said - do not let them tell your mother she is cured to go home - based on what you've said they should give her chemo and rads or she could be looking at a recurrence in the future.

My dx was very similar - they removed 1/3 of my tongue - rebuilt it - took out 40 lymph nodes (30-40 is standard) and then gave me radiation and chemo - this is standard treatment.

Good luck... And take care... Others will be along with their opinions. Welcome.

Invasion to a node is automatically bumped up to a Stage III. Her survival chances are almost impossible to determine becuase it depends upon so many factors, many of which are not dependent upon the cancer itself. Her chances will undoubtedly increase if she is treated by the best your country has to offer.

Hi Shane, welcome to OCF!

Here is a link for the main pages of OCF. It explains staging. I think you will find this helpful.
Stages of cancer


Try not to get too hung up on what stage of cancer this is. Ive seen many survivors of Stage IV (the worst possible stage). I was a Stage IV patient in 2009 and now Im doing quite well 3 years later.

Your mother could need further treatment of radiation to ensure the tumor and every other cancer cell was removed. It all depends on the margins of how wide they were. I know medical facilities in the Philippines arent always comparable to what is here in the US. Hoping you have your mother being treated at a large cancer facility that has treated many other oral cancer patients. That will be the very best place to help her get thru this. Nutrition will also play a big role in her recovery. Try to get her to take in extra protein. Here we have some whey protein powder that can easily be dissolved in any liquid to drink. This would help her to heal faster.

Please feel free to ask any questions and we will try to help you. Best wishes with everything!!!

thank you for the answers! it helps me a lot.. my mother will be seen by oncologist on monday for her chemotherapy and radiotherapy. i just want to ask also about her tongue. the suture are loosen and there is a little pus on it..is this dangerous? is there a big chance for her to survive? me and my dad are very worried about my mother. we are not yet prepared for this kind of situation and my 2 sisters is still young.

Since I do not know all the specifics of your mother's situation its not easy to give advice. Usually after surgery radiation will begin 6 weeks later. Its not easy to get thru but it can be done. Good nutrition and hydration will be what helps her to get thru this.

Try to round up all the friends and relative to help while your mother is going thru additional treatments. Anyone who offers to help, let them know you will ask for help when the time comes. It will take help from many people to get her thru everything. You mentioned younger children at home so that tells me your mother should be relatively young which will help her to get thru this easier.

Im sure OCF will be of great assistance to you and your family while your mother is going thru further treatments. Feel free to ask any questions and we will help you. Dont give up hope, your mother can survive this. Its a long road but she can get past this and go on to have a good long life.

Best wishes with everything!

Hi Shane

I cannot answer your questions about survival but a well differentiated tumour is better than moderately or poorly differentiated as it represents a better outcome.

The pus you describe suggests an infection and you should make sure you tell the doctor about it. Today is Sunday so your appointment tomorrow should be soon enough.

The best thing you can do for your mother is to educate yourself and be her advocate by asking lots of questions (here on the forum and of the doctors). Is there a nurse who specialises in Head and Neck Cancer that you can talk to? They are often great resources and are more accessible than the doctor. They will also help you in managing side effects.

If your Mum uses tobacco (smokes or chews) the best thing she can do for herself is to stop immediately.

Finally, please add a signature by going to "My Stuff" at the top of the page when you are logged on and click on "Edit Profile" in the drop down box. Scroll to the bottom and you will find a box to enter the details of your Mum's illness. This will help us answer your questions. Read a few other signatures to get the idea. Age, date of diagnosis and various treatments are all helpful as well as the diagnosis your doctor has given you. There are lots of abbreviations that you can look up in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Hello

Thank You for the response. My mother does'nt smoke or even drink an alcohol or hx in the family that's why im so curious why does she had this kind of disease. her feeding tube irritates her (esophagus?) at left side of her neck. im worried!is this normal because of her feeding tube? and i want to ask also about the chemo at radiotherapy. she is so worried about the hair loss and lost of appetite and N/V. do u think she can overcome this all?

Unfortunately it is quite common for non smokers, non drinkers to get SCC and no one seems to have an answer for that "why". The only thing to do is to get treated and that usually involves surgery, radiation and chemo. Tell her not to even concern herself with potential hair loss, that will be the least of her concerns. She will probably loose some temporarily at the back of her neck. Her biggest concerns will be the Tx. It only lasts a relatively short time but it can and usually does get nasty especially the few weeks POST radiation. I only say this so it comes as no surprise if it does get nasty. A small % breeze thru but most of us suffer from about the 4th week till the 3rd week post radiation. Remember the goal is to kill the cancer and this cancer is tough so they have to throw everything they have to accomplish that goal.

She will need a caregiver and that's no easy job so she's blessed to have you and you have us so we'll get thru this. Don't hesitate to ask ANY question.

Does your mother have a nasal feeding tube or was the feeding tube surgically placed in her stomach? Im not very familiar with the nasal tube but I would imagine it could be irritating her throat.