Welcome to OCF, Imad! Im very sorry to read about what your wife has been thru! Im sure this has not been easy for either of you.
Our site is made up of oral cancer (OC) patients/survivors and caregivers. We have gone thru OC ourselves or have taken care of someone close to us who has. Since we do not have medical backgrounds or degrees, we do not have years of practical medical training, clinical practice, the patients entire medical chart (not that we would know what most of it meant) or the patient right in front of us we could question and examine. Unfortunately this means we simply are not qualified to second guess the medical expertise of the physician.who treated your wife and to challenge their latest advice. When in doubt about medical decisions or treatments suggested, its always best to seek out another qualified specialist from a separate medical practice or facility. At least thats how things are done here in the US. All countries are different, Im very sorry but I do not know how your country's medical system works or if its possible for people there to request and obtain another opinion. In the US, some of our top cancer treatment facilities will do second opinions by email but I do not know which places offer it, the cost, or any of the requirements. I just mentioned it in case second opinions werent available in your country for your wife. At the end of my post, Ive included a link to our main OCF websites Understanding Oral Cancer page. There you will find page after page of info that may be helpful to patients and caregivers about anything and everything oral cancer including after treatment complications.
I suggest you find out exactly what that white patch is and take it from there on how to best handle it. Theres all kinds of non-invasion things people can have happen in their mouths at any time. Most will resolve themselves within a few weeks without the need for surgery. Everybodys different and can have different things pop up here and there, unfortunately this can happen more often in areas where patients have had other medical issues. As you probably already understand, OC is a very serious, deadly disease that needs to be managed by the very best medical professionals patients can find. Some patients will get recurrences and others wont, this is just as random as seemingly healthy young adults who exercise, eat right, dont drink or smoke and do not have any risk factors developing cancer. Hopefully your wife will not be someone who has a recurrence!!! Having a recurrence after going thru so much is all of our worst fears (even unsubstantiated fears and/or where there is no medical evidence to suspect a recurrence). Im pretty certain this apprehension is very common with almost all patients who have faced a serious illness. To me, I find the stages of acceptance are comparable to the 5 (or 7) stages of grief but Im not a mental health professional so that may be a good avenue for you and your wife to check out if its something available in your area. Many OC patients along with their caregivers have a difficult time mentally managing the shock of diagnosis and will take anxiety meds and talk with a therapist who is familiar with cancer patients anxiety and fears.
Please let us know exactly what the white patch is and how you make out if seeking a second opinion. Best wishes with everything!!!
Main OCF site, Understanding Oral Cancer
