I was speaking to someone last nite who's grandfather and father both had base of tongue cancer. (who have both passed away) She occassionaly gets mouth sores on her tongue and seen a doctor about it at Roswell Park. At the time of the visit the sore was gone so it was inconclusive. He did tell her though that he understood her concern due to her father & grandfather having this type of cancer. Is there any genetic link on this type of cancer? She is not a smoker nor a regular alcohol user. Should she get some special type of screening?
Tami

Hi Tami,

Not sure if there is any screening she could receive. maybe others could chime in. I had no history of sores prior to my base of tongue SCC.

Steve

Hi Tami,
I can only speak from my own experience with tongue SCC. I had a brother that was diagnosed with Stage 3 tongue Scc in 1985, He fought hard but lost his battle in 1990. I had a small pinpoint lesion develope on the right side of my tongue in the fall of 1998 about 1 year after I had quite smoking. I saw the Dr. when it did not go away in 3-4 weeks and she promptly sent me to an ENT just becaause of the family history. The ENT scheduled me for a biopsy even though he thought it was nothing-again due to the family history. It did turn out to be nothing.

However,5 years later, I developed a lump on the same site and again saw the Dr. in a timely fashion. She sent me on to a brand new Otholarengologist in our city who immediately scheduled me for surgury to have the lump and margins removed for biopsy. She informed me that Head and Neck cancers seem to have a strong genetic link. I never knew this but that is what she said. It did turn out to be SCC of the right lateral tongue but margins were clear and I was left for screening every 3 months-just visual with yearly chest X-ray and liver enzyme screens.

This was ok until in 2004 Sept there were visual changes noted and again I was taken to the OR for biopsy and Panendoscopy. Pathology showed mild dysplesia. May 2005 more changes noted so I had a punch biopsy under a local, showed Severe Dysplesia, followed by another punch biopsy in Aug 2005 that showed Cancer in Situ.

I was then referred to the Head and Neck Oncology Center in London Ont. on Sept 8/05 and had surgery on Sept20/05. I had a hemi-glossectomey, right neck dissection, and a radial left-forearm free flap reconstruction. I am still awaiting my pathology reports (Oct 20) to see if I need RT, Chemo, both or neither.

Now the Drs. have recommended that my other 2 sibs have screenings by an ENT and that their Dental healthcare professionals be notified that these events have taken place as their risk factors are higher to develope Oral Cancer. They have also been advised that any changes or sores that they feel in their mouths should be checked out if they do not heal on their own after 3 weeks time.

I hope that this info has helped you out.

Betsy

[quote]Posted By Tami - "Genetic predisposition to
base of tongue cancer?"[/quote]Tami, there is a genetic predisposition to any cancer, just as there is a genetic predisposition to coronary artery disease, or high blood pressure...or even hair loss.

Genetics plays a role in all aspects of your life...that is inescapable.

As I have said before, that is the reason that some people can smoke cigarettes for 50 years and never get cancer and someone else can smoke for less than 20 years and get lung or oral cancer.
Or, for that matter, never smoke at all and get cancer.

Same reason why one person can eat sausage and eggs every morning, use real butter and cook with fatback and live to be 90 and another person can eat an average diet and get his coronary arteries plugged up by age 40...genetics.

I had occasion to recently speak with a woman who "dips" snuff. She has a pinch between her cheek and gum more often than not.
In fact, she even told me that she has to put a pinch of snuff between her cheek and gum each night before she goes to bed...and sleeps with it in her mouth all night. She said she can't get to sleep unless she does that.

She is a very chipper and interesting lady. She is also 92 years old and told me she has "dipped" snuff since she was a teenager.

I tell you about her, not to condone smokeless tobacco...but to illustrate how important genetics is to cancer susceptibility.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/overview/healthprofessional

Regards,
-Ward