Hi Everyone, I just wanted some advice. My lovely mom was sadly diagnosed with Throat Cancer back in 2009. She had cancer in the tonsils and tongue with 1 lymph gland. She had 4 weeks of chemo-radiation.(Mom has never been a smoker or drinker but it turned out the tumour was HPV posative)

Anyway fast forward 4 years and mom is in great shape, still working full time at the age of 64 no matter how much i nag her to take it easy! Then I took her for her check-up last Friday and the Doctor said that she had a swelling at the base of her tongue. He referred her for a MRI scan which she had 3 days later.

We are now sitting back and waiting. I cant sleep or eat I feel totally sick with worry and cant bare the thought of what could lay ahead.

I just wondered if it was the worse, what are our treatment options, I was lead to believe that you can only receive radiotherapy once and that chemo is no use as a stand alone.

I would really appreciate any advise.


Thank you

Oliver

Hi, Oliver - there are options, including surgery, chemotherapy and re-irradiation. Where is your mom being seen?
Maria

Hi Maria thanks for the reply. She is being seen at a specialist cancer center here in the UK. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

One thing that does confuse me is the Dr said she had a swelling of the tongue, but I thought oral cancer occurred as a sore on the skin?

She had 55Gys of Radio last time with 2 doses of carboplatin. This was all in 2009. Do you think she would be a candidate for reirridation if it is the big C back?

Welcome Oliver,

Take one day at a time, easier said than done, and nothing I ever did. It's not cancer until proven it is, and a scan can't do that, only a biopsy will. The scan may dictate the next route. Just to answer your question, radiation can be done more than once, these days, under certain circumstances, precautions. I had radiation 3x, to the same area, and going for my 4th next month.

Good luck.