Recent diagnosis. Matastic squamous lumps in neck inc lymph nodes

Sorry to see you here, Chris where none of us want to be

If you have lymph node involvement it's likely the surgeons will want to operate and remove them. This is called a neck dissection.

This is likely to be followed by Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy which is usually done together.

It's a bummer, it's tough but you can get through it.

You'll get your teeth checked thoroughly too as dental work post RT is problematic.

I'm 68, 7 months post RT and getting back to normal.

There are issues with and after treatment and I'm sure your team will go through them with you.

This community is a helpful lot with a lot of experience so as your situation becomes more clear come back and ask away.

Good luck

Good advice from Beesuit there so I won't elaborate further. If you're talking St George's in Tooting though that sounds a real shame if they're struggling. I spent a month in there in 1993 with pneumonia which came close to me not being around anymore, so I have "happy" memories of the place and my care was superb on Thomas Young ward.

Teaching hospitals like this should be a showcase of our NHS, no place for chaos. Hate to get political on here so I'll refrain, but honestly....

Hi this is Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz I am almost one year post radiotherapy for tonsil cancer with several effected lymph nodes. Can only echo what Chris and beesuit have said .just bear in mind we are all different in my case the lymph nodes weren5 operates in first at Leeds cancer unit I hadn’t radiotherapy amen 2 chemotherapy leaving neck dissecting as the last resort as chemo radiation the main one .i have a blog about my experience s www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.commwhere ingive my details and some tips .

you will be feeling lost and possibly angry once you get your treatment plan things slowly fall into place 

good crowd  in here ask away any questions. 

Hazel

Thanks for the responses. I'm anxious about the follow up appt I have tomorrow.  I am hoping they have identified the Primary tumour site. I'm hoping it ain't in my lungs. 

I feel adrift. Yeah and getting grumpy. 

Primary in the lungs is extremely unlikely. It will be in a tonsil probably 

Hi tallchris  I suppose I will have to be shortchris , please try and remain positive and focused , we are all the same with the waiting game , as beesuit said its not normally in your lungs . I have had 3 cancer in the head and neck and I never asked if they where different tumours or the same one spreading  all I wanted was for them to deal with the problems ,which thankfully they did . Good luck for tomorrow ,take care .

                                                                              Chris .

Hi Tallchris99, so sorry to hear of your cancer diagnosis. Like you my husband presented with lymph nodes to side of neck which had grown massively by the time treatment commenced and were causing him signigicant pain. As like you there was a search, a very intensive search to find the primary. However in my husbands case this was not found but pet scan did high light  two suspect areas one behind nose, this is the one they thought it was however after another biopsy this proved not to be the case, the other area was investigated secondary but pretty much dismissed before the investigation was done as highly unlikely. His treatment was based on head and neck cancer due to the nature of the spread, further testing had found swollen lymph nodes under left arm and upper chest, everything on left side. It took about three months from initial cancer diagnosis and search for primary for treatment to be commenced, this was tough but was necessary so they could exhaust all avenues in regards to finding the primary. Treatment for him has been chemotherapy platinum based followed by immunotherapy, Good luck tomorrow I hope you get some answers soon.The team looking after him have been amazing.