Husband starts with chemo and radiotherapy on Tues. we have not yet had any staging. We went for a pre assessment meeting today with the nursing team and I asked about the staging. They said they couldn’t confirm but I saw on the screen T0N3b.
hes already had a parotidectomy and neck dissection.
i think it’s T0 as they weren’t sure quite where it started - it’s squamous cell and we had cancer in the salivary gland and lymph nodes. They think it could be salivary gland but not for sure.
i think it’s n3 as it was in 7 lymph nodes with extra capsular spread.
i am confused by the b as google tells me that means bilateral but unless it showed up on his diagnostic scan we have always thought it was just right side.
then there was no M.
I know we should just ask next time we go but wondered if anyone else has had a similar staging. It’s made me pain again!
i am confused by the b as google tells me that means bilateral but unless it showed up on his diagnostic scan we have always thought it was just right side.
No. The b means there are lots of lymph nodes with cancer cells present. It doesn’t mean they are both sides. That would only be mentioned on the histopath report.
You just need to ask. Phone his CNS. There is no reason you shouldn’t know so I’m sure they will tell you straight away.
If your husband had an online NhS portal the report will likely be there.
Finally everybody’s cancer is different. I was stage two with no nodes involved. Hazel was stage three with seven nodes and she has a week more RT than me. She made a much better recovery than I did.
What anybody else’s staging was is irrelevant so try to chill.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
