I'm not sure which treatment is best for my condition. I've been diagnosis with tongue cancer about 3 weeks ago. I've just seen an ENT whom gave me two choice for my treatment.
1. remove 1/3 of my tongue to see cancer margin and lymp node(s) from my neck. With this option, I may or may not have additional radiation therapy.
2. Skip the surgery.. go straight to chemo and radiation therapy. Since I have had chemo about 14 years ago for my testicular cancer, I don't know if this is a good option for me or not.

I also don't want to loose part of my tongue.
Please advise....

Hi Star, for what it's worth. My husband was dx with stage IV SCC base of tongue in March 2007. We were told he had a 50-50 chance of survival because surgery would have been too radical, he would have had no quality of life. Here we are 2 years on. He is still not the man he was, he suffers from a couple of things but nothing like those who have had surgery. The truth is, if I was dx with cancer of the tongue, I would say, ok, chemo and r/t, and no to surgry

Hi and welcome to MCF.

Firstly i would advise you get a couple of opinions before making a decision.Secondly in terms of recovery and side effects,surgery is much less traumatic than radiotherapy and chemotherapy and recovery is usually quite rapid.Rob had his done as a day patient and was back at work within 48 hours,but that depends on how much of your tongue they remove.Thirdly if you have surgery alone,you still have the option of rads and chemo if it comes back,if you have rads and chemo first,then require surgery,recovery will be much harder as radiated tissue takes longer to heal and you will already be pretty battered by the chemo.

Bottom line is listen to all the options available,ask the possible outcome of the treatment and the chances of recurrence,and make an informed decision based on the best advice you are given.Try to get an appointment at a comprehensive cancer centre and ask as many questions as you can.

Recuurence rates in oral caancer are high,so you need to hit it hard from the outset .

hope this helps.

liz

Hi Star

Its so difficult to advise without knowing more about your tumour. I had the operation suggested for you 18 months ago - almost a third of my tongue removed and a neck dissection. It was certainly not a pleasant experience but now I experience very few lasting effects and those are all minor. From reading other posts on this board the side effects of radiation do seem to cause more lasting problems. And, as Liz says (and my consultant said to me at the time) then there is still the opportunity to have radiation and chemotherapy should the cancer come back. I had no spread to my lymph nodes, but I believe if they do find something you will probably need radiotherapy anyway. I had previously had radiotherapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer, but as far as I know this would not have made any difference if I had needed further treatment.

Again, as Liz says, you need to get as much information and advice as you can before making this decision.

All best wishes

Gwyn

quote:

two choice for my treatment.
1. remove 1/3 of my tongue to see cancer margin and lymp node(s) from my neck. With this option, I may or may not have additional radiation therapy.
2. Skip the surgery.. go straight to chemo and radiation therapy.

Hello Star

Ask your oncologist/surgeon about the morbidity with each option:
Will you be able to talk as well?
Will you be able to swallow as well?
Will you look as well?
Will your taste be as well?
Will your saliva be as well?

The preference nowadays is to treat with chemoradiotherapy (using IMRT to spare organs e.g. saliva glands in the way).

Best wishes
Vinod

Hi Star

I agree with Liz--you ought to get a second opinion before you decide what route to take.

Four years ago I was treated surgically for tongue cancer; neither rt nor chemo was needed. The tumor was encapsulated, and all of the lymph nodes were cancer free. So far, so am I. In addition to hemiglossectomy, did your doctor mention reconstruction? The left half of my tongue and adjacent floor of my mouth were replaced with a piece of my arm. I look like I always have bubble gum in my mouth. This after-market equipment works just as well as the manufacturer's original, and I sound like I always did. Surgery might not be ideal for everyone, but it's worked really well for me.

You're not alone in this.

Julia

All of the reaction can be reliable. Sorry to hear those sufferings. But im very sure of this things having a cure.
immunologist