Thanks Jerry!

I sent an email to Joy.

My Best to You,
Catherine

Hi Catherine and welcome.

My father was treated at the Medical College of Virginia which is now called VCU Medical Center. I'm going to PM you his surgeons name and number. The surgeon was the head of his team.

You have come to the best place to get information.

Feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions.

Joy

Thanks Joy!

I know I will need you expertise again.

Good Thoughts to Good People - ALL!
Catherine

HI Catherine,

Welcome to the boards. I was diagnosed with well differentiated invasive SCC of the tongue in March 07. Mine was on the left side of the tongue and MDACC recommended a partial glossectomy to remove the tumor with a potential neck dissection to be determined during the surgery based on the size and nature of the tumor. Fortunately for me, removal of the tumor was all that was necessary, clear margins, no evidence of residual carcinoma so need for anything else in their opinion. I'm eighteen months out and clean as a whistle. So far, so good.

Susan

Susan,

Your story fills me with hope!

Thanks for Sharing,
Catherine

Hi Leslie! THANKS for your kind "aside" note - we certainly hope that your husband is staying the course also! Warmly, Jane

Hi Catherine,

Welcome to OCF!
In answer to your question, " Has anyone had success with surgery-only treatment (no radiation)....or is radiation always used as follow up?"
My husband was initially Dx in Jan 05. He had a small area on the left side of his tounge that was not painful and looked like just a streak of leukoplakia. His dentist too was the one that sent him to an ENT for assesment and treatment. The spot had only appeared one week prior to seeing the dentist and it took only a week to see the ENT. So two weeks into the discovery the ENT took a biopsy and sent it off for examination. It came back as SCC. the ENT surgeon sceduled my husband for an immidiate partial disection of the tounge. He took a small portion of the left side of his tongue. After testing it was determined that it was surprisingly superficial and all margins were clear. The ENT surgeon was confident that no radiation or chemo was needed. He put us on a tight follow up schedule. Of coarse I can't impress enough how very important it is to examine your mouth and tongue every day. Not only visually but by touch as well. You should be very aware of how every area of your mouth looks and feels. Most often you will detect a change in the smoothness or texture before noticing any outward visual signs.
After almost exactly 3 yrs.(12/07) cancer free my husband noticed another small whitish spot in the same area of his tongue. He went straight to his ENT surgeon and the whole routine began again. Biopsy,surgery,clear margins etc... The rest is history as you can see from my signature.
I don't consider the return of his cancer after 3 yrs. as being wholely unsuccessful. He was cancer free for 3 yrs! I do believe that being proactive and finding all the information you can and taking charge of your treatment is a must. You are on the right track by reasearching and talking to everyone here to see what type of treatment and outcome they had. Ultimalty it is up to you to choose what is right for you. We wondered for only a moment when my husbands SCC returned in his lymphnodes if we should have proceeded with radiation and Chemo the second time it appeared on his tongue. ~shrug~ We have let that question go. We chose what was right for him at the time. After weighing all the stats, percentages of poss return vs not and recommedations from the radiation board. We opted to wait on radiation or chemo. We felt the odds were still in our favor.(the tumor still being isolated to just the one area and surgery was a simple dissection without the need of any grafts or the like. and all other tests and PET scans were clear)
We are not disappointed that he is now in treatment it just is and we are being as agressive as possible this time around. We have no regrets.
May I also suggest that you see a dermatologist. SCC is also a common form of skin cancer and has been known to travel(all be it.rarely) to organs. take good care of your skin using sunblock always and have any unusual spots checked right away. Just another preventative but it's always better to be safe so no regrets later.
My thoughts are with you as you begin paving the way on what treatment you will pursue. I have no doubt you will find what is right and what will work! for you. You have obviously been hashing through all the information you can find. I have no favorite sites to share with you that haven't already been previously shared. Just know that my heart is with you and everyone here is here for you as well.
all my best, ~Ija~

MS T (lja),

Thank you for sharing your experiences with your husband�s SCC and subsequent treatment. I, like him, am very fortunate to have a caring spouse to hold my hand through this journey. I have printed your post and will PM you soon, after I have more time to absorb information about this new world I have recently entered.

�All roads lead to Rome.�

This applies to Richmond, VA, it seems. I now have an initial appointment on 10/23 with the only ENT who deals with OC in the area (as far as I can tell). He is associated with the Massey Cancer Center and MCV(VCU). Thanks to Joy and Cindy from this forum, and my doctors and friends, who all agree I will be in good hands.

It is hard to wait two weeks, but it will give me more time to educate myself, and examine these new challenges.

My Best to All,
Catherine

Hi Catherine...not sure if my two cents will account for anyting but I have had a fight with cancer as well it was on the bottom of my mouth and I had overf 50 lymph nodes removed all clear...my doctors have concluded they got all the cancer and I am clear without having radiation. I really am not sure if it is good or bad or normal I am just trusting his experience and skill..I am just going one day at a time with this still and only one month out of my surgery. So good luck with your treatment and be confident they will get all of it during surgery

Hi Catherine,

I have heard good things about Massey, so I too agree you are in good hands. And no worries about being in a small town with this. Small town doesn't mean small amount of care. You will be in good hands and I am sure you will most likely have a closer relationship with your phys. then some of those who are at a larger, higher volume cancer center.
Best always, ~Ija~