Tongue Cancer diagnosis

Hi Yorkieman. Sorry you’ve found yourself on here and the position you’ve found yourself. I had 35 radiotherapy sessions snd 2 of a planned 3 chemo. If we can help with the effects of radiotherapy just ask. From memory after 20 I was just starting to feel the side effects scratchy throat and shortly after for me difficulty swallowing. Your radiotherapy is targeting higher on the mouth area so hopefully your swallow won’t be affected. I totally get where you are coming from re quality of life as opposed to quantity. If we can help just pop on. 
Hazel  ps I’m from Yorkshire as well I was treated at Leeds cancer centre. 

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I'd discuss exactly what the impact on your quality of life would be and the chances of tongue removal and reconstruction being successful. Even with the choices put in front of you people will make different choices. Just make sure you speak to your medical team and most of all your family and close friends.

Lee  

T4 N2 M0 left oropharyngeal SCC (grade 3, p16)

Hi Yorkieman. Welcome from me too. Please before you make any final decisions re treatment have a word with Laura Marston (Dizz) who runs the Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Charity London Branch. They have a page on a well known social media page beginning with F (sorry Macmillan don't allow links). She has just made a short video about how she felt when she got the same diagnosis as you.

Hi Yorkieman and a warm welcome from me.  From the staging of the cancer I think you should be asking your clinical team a few questions about what may/will happen if the operate to remove the tumour.  Your staging says that the cancer has basically not spread from the original tumour, although it may well be growing into other areas of the tongue so what they refer to as "clear margins" may be difficult to achieve.

Clearly it is entirely your choice as to how you want to be treated, but there are many on here that have been through tough surgery and come out the other side to a good, but different, quality of life.

Hi Dani,

Just followed that lady you mentioned. Very inspiring

Yes she’s amazing. I don’t know whether I would have had the courage but talking to her might well have changed my mind. 

Thanks for your response. Am trying to remain positive about the future plan and maybe gain inspiration from similar forum users as to how treatment affected their outcome. Unfortunately am also now a frequent visitor to Leeds hospitals and confident their people provide best advice.

Thanks for your response. Am thinking in first instance that surgery of that nature would be traumatic and perhaps the less invasive RT route maybe of some value? 

Thanks for your response. Am thinking in first instance that surgery of that nature would be traumatic and perhaps the less invasive RT route maybe of some value? 

Thanks, the video does provide inspiration and at moment I am thinking about how radio therapy alone maybe of value and how the results are assessed while treatment is ongoing.