Hello all. I just passed my one year anniversary from my initial cancer diagnosis and resection surgery. Right before that - I felt a new lump in my tongue - a small one - but a lump none the less (maybe size of a grain of rice and found totally by fluke). This time it was midway between the midpoint and the edge of the left side (the first tumor was the right side). I watched it for a little over a week (hoping that it might be nothing and go away) and then made an appointment with my doc. He didn't hesitate to recommend biopsy since my history.
Biopsy was done in OR last Thursday and I found out yesterday that it was not malignant - however it was "Verrucous Hyperplasia". He went over this with me on the phone - but I want to research it a little more. From what I understand, this is non-malignant - but left alone - could turn malignant (I guess hyperplasia to dysplasia to carcinoma is the order of change)? Does anyone have more info on this?
My original tumor started as a lump and opened up into an ulcer before anyone found it (I of course had no idea what it was and ignored it for months as I was only 29 at the time and had never even heard of tongue cancer). My original tumor was SCC. Doc says the original one could have started as the same thing possibly.
I thought Verrucous and Squamous Carcinomas were different - but now, I'm not sure. I'm wondering if anyone has any more information on this and if you have any good websites with reliable info. I don't think I have leukoplakia as I have never noticed white patches - but my doctor originally thought possibly lichen planus - but I guess we are now leaning towards
HPV, as he said the verrucous is consistent with
HPV as well, with my tumor / tumors also being multifocal in origin.
Any advice is appreciated. Right now, we are diligently watching my mouth and I think that any suspicious lumps like this will be removed right away again like this time. Does this tend to come back over and over and over? I about drove myself psycho this time thinking it was a full fledged recurrence!
He would also like me to enter a chemoprevention clinical trial for green tea extract at MD Anderson and has submitted my information to them - but I haven't heard from the trials office yet. Anyone tried green tea or know about this trial? I think it started a couple of years ago. I can't find it on the FDA website - only the website for Anderson.
Please, if you have any information that you could share, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Amy M. in Cincinnati
