Greetings fellow travellers; I have just been formally diagnosed with a lateral tongue SCC, T1N2(or3)B,M0. Surgery to remove part of the tongue, stitch and perform neck dissection is planned for 13/3. The consultant tells me I will likely be a full week in Hospital. Can anyone who has been through this share how I can best prepare for surgery and what i can expect in the weeks following surgery? Thanks.
the consultant tells me the decision to offer radiotherapy will be made about 2 weeks after surgery when the team has biopsy results from both the tumour and the nodes. If radiotherapy is offered he says-as I understand it- , that statistically the chances of non recurrence increase by about 15%. I am trying to work out what this means; is that another way of saying that only 1 in 6 (or so) people derive benefit from radiotherapy? If that is right it seems rather poor odds for a hard, lengthy treatment and lifelong undesired side effects. Am I missing something?
(Fit, active, otherwise healthy 70 year old male). Best wishes to all.
Hi. Have a look at this thread.
This lady has just gone through what is planned for you and is at the point of deciding about radiotherapy
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
If that is right it seems rather poor odds for a hard, lengthy treatment and lifelong undesired side effects. Am I missing something?
PS. Please look at my reply too which addresses the issue of lifelong side effects
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
