Waiting for results of tongue biopsy for mum

Hi just thought I’d pop in , mum has had an appointment through for next Thursday the appointment is with a Mr Winter at the Churchill hospital in Oxford , I’ve done some googling , but I’m assuming this will be for results of MRI CT BIOPSY AND PET still trying to stay hopeful, mum still struggling with eating and mainly only having soup living on oral morphine and well yes that’s all really at the moment … thankful the appointment has came through today so hopeful can be totally clear on what is what 

Thanks for the update. Fingers crossed that something can be done for your mum quickly 

Yes just trying to stay positive I’ve had a really crappy couple of days anxiety has been through the roof something I’d normally share with my mum but feel I can’t because have to be strong ect ect … just thought I’d pop in and say hello and pray that next week I’m not popping back in with terrible news x

Mum had her results today and I am devastated I don’t know where to start really but we had a diagnosis of stage 4 oralpharangeal (sorry for spelling) cancer … the tumour is 45mm and started in the throat and came into the tongue …. It has spread to lymph nodes on both sides of the neck I think 3 one side and one the other - they said it is not operable and mum has 3 choices radio for 6 weeks with a 30% success rate or palliative radio so like half radio if that makes sense not the full strength radio or no treatment and she has been given 6 months …. Mum is deciding whether it is worth giving the radio a shot for the 30% or to just be comfortable for the time she has left … just a little update for those who replied to my previous post , obviously I think we are both in shock and mum is in a hell of a lot of pain , I don’t really know what else to say but that’s the news 

Hi Shirlybop. Thank you for taking time to update us. Difficult decisions to be made I hope you were given information or a contact for mums cancer nurse to talk the options through. I had 35 radiotherapy sessions and chemo they were hard I can’t lie I was fit and apart from the diagnosis I was healthy and not in any pain.If your mum was ti take the radiotherapy it will be hard. We can’t give advice as which way to go. But hope mum and you can have some quality time. 
Hugs to both of you 

Hazel 

Hi yes I have a lot of information here to go through , they said chemo definitely wasn’t an option for mum , I was really hopeful they would say surgery but no … just devastating I’m a bit lost for words maybe I’ll pop back on tomorrow xx

Hi surgery wasn’t an option for me as I had spread to soft palate as well and speaking with surgeon the damage would have been too much to  operwte it wouldn't have given me a quality of life. . Radiotherapy is the main course of treatmen for orapharangeal cancers with lymoh node spread. Everyone is different. 
hugs Hazel 

I don’t know why mum has only been given such a low chance with radio 30% and if not then she only has months - is it worth the pain for something that may not work or just to be comfortable for theonths she has left  I don’t know how this has happened … she only had a sore throat and an ear ache for a couple of months , I asked how long it could have been there and they couldn’t answer … I know surgery was out of the question for the same reason as you it would leave her with no quality of life but your now cancer free which is amazing …. I just wish we had better news , I’ve woken up in tears this morning I don’t know how to process all the news and how to help mum make a decision 

Hi Shirley

It is just awful news for you both. I agree with Hazel. You should talk this through but as soon as you can with her oncologist. There are trials adding immunotherapy as a first line treatment for patients with advanced disease. Ask whether your mum has been considered for one of these. Hazel and `I have a friend who had Durvalumab as part of the CompARE trial and is very well three years later. This trial is closed but there are others.

I don't want to raise your hopes but it's worth asking.

Hi Shirley. I’ve been thinking about you and mum this morning. I know what my decision would be I like Dani would go for the 30% chance of getting to 5 years. Even though the treatments hard and brutal I know as I’ve been through it. But I snd this  us only  my thoughts would want ti give myself the best chance however slim. The side effects don’t last in most cases forever. We’re all left with something but careful management we can mitigate. For me it’s nothing spicy no alcohol and dry mouth ar night time. Don’t thjnk your mums HPV is she are they thinking previous smoking and drinking are the cause.  I woujd ask the clinical nurse if that’s the 30% ? 
hugs Hazel 

it’s a hard choice whichever way mum decides to go.