My husband was diagnosed in May 2002 with SCC of the right tonsil. He underwent concurrent chemo and radiation that entire summer and then had two or three more cyles of chemo in the fall of 2002.

About two months ago, he felt a lump in his neck; this lump is on the same side of his neck but a bit lower than where he felt the swelling that lead to the diagnosis of the tonsil cancer four years ago.

After a CT scan and needle biopsy, he is now scheduled for a radical neck dissection on Friday. He has a marvelous attitude and is very strong spiritually. I, of course, am scared to death.

If anyone has been through a similar situation, I'd love hearing from you. Please wish the best for us and pray that our news is good.

Thanks.

Loretta

Hi Loretta,
I'm not certain what type of 'similiar' you are looking for, but if one of your questions is 'has anyone come up with cancer four years later just when you think you are all well' the answer is YES. While the location of my cancers were different than your husbands, first unknown primary with met to one node in neck and second small tumor on larynx, I still around here 5 years after the second diagnosis. I've had two neck dissections. Read up on them on the this board and make certaint hey refer him for PT after he has it.

Take care,
Eileen

Thanks, Eileen, for your reply.

I have printed off and read several articles on neck dissection procedures and intend to ask many questions when I see the ENT after the surgery.

Glad you are healthy after this period of time!

My husband appreciates your reply, too.

Loretta

Radicals are not used as often as they used to. Have you sought other opinions. I had 2 left nodes and base of tongue primary and 1 doc recommended a Radical but I ended up after 3 more cancer docs at Moffitt cancer Institute which didn't even remove the 2 nodes, let alone do a Radical. I did have chemoradiation and so far so good.

In my experience doctors still say the phrase radical neck dissection, but they often are actually doing something else. A modified radiacal neck dissection is a much lesser procedure for instance ( what I had ), but my doc didn't say that to me. I would be sure of what he was going to do before I got involved with others. Sometimes, the decision of what to take, from modest amounts or nodes only, to other muscular structure, cannot be made until the doctor is wet fingers in the proceedure.

Hi Loretta,

How is your husband doing?

Best wishes and prayers.

Hi Lisa (and others!)

Thanks for asking about my husband.

He's doing very, very well overall. The surgery was long (I knew this going in but was still a basket case!) as it was delayed in starting and then the doc worked very, very hard to preseve the major nerves. That, he said, added about 45 minutes to the procedure but appears to have been worth the time.

We came home yesterday, so the entire time in the hospital was only from Friday morning until Monday morning...amazing to both of us. He hasn't required much pain mediction at this point. He has in excess of thirty staples in the incision (those will be removed next Monday), and we're still dealing a bit with the seepage from the holes where the drain tubes were. This is minor, though, and we certainly endured much worse when he had chemo and radiation four years ago. He was up and walking around the hospital the next day and was able to eat and drink what he wanted almost right away.

We as well as the doc were disappointed that we did not have the path report by the time we left. Doc will call us, though, when he has it and we'll go from there. Of course, we're hoping for an all clear.

Thanks again for asking. I appreciate the support and concern.

Loretta