Gum and Jaw cancer

I had same surgery 11 months ago with fibula free flap; not sure about the inconclusive biopsy, but it did take three biopsies for them to eventually find my cancer. I have been reading avidly the conversations on this amazingly helpful site!  but think you are the first person to actually have a similar diagnosis to me. So far so good for me at the moment. 
sorry that you are having to undergo surgery, but these maxifacial consultant surgeons are the bees knees!

wishing you all the best.

Hello Country Lass

The consultant said that he did not want to go down another biopsy route as it would add about another three weeks to the waiting time and that could be vital. 

Glad that you are doing ok and hope that continue to do so.

You have to put your trust in these professionals and hope that they get it all right, although my consultant has told me that it is only about 70% sure that it is a cancer..

Can I ask how long were you in Hospital after your op. ?

I was in hospital 18 days, would probably have been out sooner but they had to be certain my food intake was good enough.  I was on puréed food and fortisip initially,  but once home I was very soon onto mash potato with gravy, scrambled egg and mashed avocado the usual sort of thing that most folk on here manage initially, along with the fortisip top up. 
fingers crossed for you that it isn’t cancer.

Hi,

I had gingival/gum cancer. The biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma. The operation was to remove the cancerous gum and some jaw bone (no cancer detected). A free flap from my arm was used for reconstruction. I also had a neck dissection to remove nodes (no cancer detected).

The surgeons are amazing and despite a scare with a new ulcer, which turned out not to be cancerous, I’ve made an excellent recovery. I was in hospital for about a week.

Wishing you all the best.

Daffine sounds very much like my diagnoses, did you have a reconstruction of the jaw bone? 

Glad you are ok now.

I had something called a rim resection, which didn’t require reconstruction of the jawbone. The cancer hadn’t actually spread into the bone but they removed some to ensure safe margins and to do a biopsy of bone to check.

Hi Chesham

Your proposed op sounds rather like the one I had. I had a partial mandibulectomy  and neck dissection followed by radiotherapy in 2013 which was for cancer in my lower right jaw which manifested as an ulcer on my gum. Once over the op and radiotherapy I returned to work and could eat fairly normally and got back to doing everything I was doing previously. I was in hospital 10 days for this op.

The cause of my jaw cancer is lichen planus which turns to squameous cell cancer. The lichen planus can’t be cured only managed so I have had another 2 ops since then in 2019 and 2022 for my upper jaw so have had maxillectomies each time. More radiotherapy in 2019. For my last op I had a skin graft taken from my arm to cover the roof of my mouth.

You are in good hands as the team that works in the maxiofacial unit are amazing. I have nothing but praise for my wonderful surgeon.

Wishing you all the best.

Lyn

1. I too have just been diagnosed with gum and jaw cancer. Just had CT and MRI seeing the surgeon on Monday

Hi Barbara

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It is a bit of a blow when a diagnosis of cancer comes out of the blue especially if you have been fit and healthy. Best of luck with your appointment on Monday. Once your treatment plan is in place let us know how you are going There are so many people on this forum that will have had something similar happen so will be able to give you any advice you need. Hope you are holding up O.K.

Lyn

Hi Sophie 66,

I am sorry to hear that you’ve been through so much, but you sound as though you are doing well which is really great to hear.

The original poster (Chesham) is my Dad. He also has lichen planus. He had it originally diagnosed around 15 years ago. It’s behaved itself until 2021 when it started to show signs that it was changing. Having read your experience, I guess we might need to brace ourselves for other flare-ups. 

Did the doctors give you any life-style information to try and keep the lichen planus from continuing to turn? 

My Dad quit smoking over 30 years ago. Like most people, he believed that the 20 year rule would apply and he would be free of any damage.

I don’t think my Dad will mind me mentioning that he is very nervous about the actual procedure as he has been told that it is 14+ hours which seems like a a bit overwhelming. 

Does anyone have any advice to help calm the nerves?