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Transoral laser surgery for invasive scc

Trell
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Hi I have surgery coming up but is laser this time to remove the cancer and resection my throat I'm really worried about this and recovery as I also have COPD and pf so struggle to breathe anyway . Will I ever be able to speak again and is the surgery painful and the recovery painful or long please any advice isuch appreciated . I'm not sleeping and panicking terribly I wake FFS ripping in sweat in full panic attack thinking I'm going to die is this normal too 

  • Hi Trell,

    Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community, I see you have joined the larynx cancer forum.  I hope you find it supportive.  My name is Barbara and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists.

    I’m sorry to hear you need to have surgery for cancer and this is causing fear, anxiety and worry. 

    Here at the Macmillan Support Line, we don’t have access to any NHS records therefore it is not possible to know the extent of your diagnosis and treatment. With this in mind, it would be most helpful for you to contact your CNS (head and neck clinical nurse specialist) and your surgeon as they will be best placed to advise you specifically what to expect from your laser surgery. 

    Our Macmillan website offers some more information which you might find helpful.  This is only general information as we don’t have access to your medical records, as mentioned above we would strongly encourage you to speak with your healthcare team directly. 

    Struggling to sleep and having panic attacks can be very scary and have a massive impact on our lives.  It is important that you speak with your GP to get support with this as soon as possible.  If you are struggling over the weekend, you can call 111 for support and advice also.  In the meantime it might be helpful to seek support from No Panic, Anxiety UK and our own Macmillan website. 

    You may find it helpful to give our support line a call. Our Macmillan Information Nurse Specialists are here to offer support and help with your questions on 0800 808 00 00 Monday to Friday. You can also e mail us back and we aim to reply within two working days.

    Best wishes

    Barbara G, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    Ref: BG/DW

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