Hi


Joust a quick question for the dear old doc

Why do they not employ watchful waiting For very small cancers that are low grade It would take a lot of pressure off the patient who wouldthen have time to think about everything and research things theres too much rush to get people on to the surgery table fine its its urgent and the cancer is fast grwoing but i think moretime should be given to small growths as you will not die within a couple of weeeks WHAT ABOUT IT DOC

Hi Blitz

Time should always be given to allow an informed decision by a patient. The amount of time allowed will always be dictated by the tumour, its location and staging. If there will be no great morbidity, a tumour, even if slow growing, should be removed as the fear, and worry, of a change in its character is removed too.

Best wishes for 2004.
Vinod :coffee:

Well I was only given 10 days Eileen from being told to having the operation.
Wold I have said no I doubt it was too scared what it was doing to me inside ansd WHERE it was spredinmg to as my neck had come up in lumps at this time whilst on holiday.
I had been given the ALL CLEAR 2 weeks before that at my LOCAL hospital (Whitttington in North LDN) thats why I was away celebrating.(long lived that was)
I have no regrets really only the after effect will be with me for the rest of my time and the fear of it """comming to gwt me again"""

All have a Happy New Year


Paul


.

Hi people.

Paul, just to pick up on your last point. I fairly sure that the fear of a cancer popping up somewhere else is something we all share.

When I think that, before the PEG, all nutrition etc. passed through my mouth I'm astonished that, so far, it's not hit at another location.

The other bug bear is how would I know?

The cancer on my tongue was, apparently, very well advanced and yet I'd not really had any problems until about 9/12 weeks prior to diagnosis.

So whilst I'd like regular checks on the rest of my body I know, and accept, that such checks are not feasible.

I try not to be a nuisance to my GP, but that nagging fear's still there at the back of my mind.

Going to Biltzbob's point I think we've been over this before. It would seem that that practices and attitudes vary from area to area.

Given the cost constraints imposed on the NHS I would have thought that surgery (which I think is very expensive) would be a last resort.

I may, as ever, be totally wrong but I'm sure there are people out there who'll put me right.

Cheers to all

Hi

Well as ever here i am jumping to the defence of my statement while I agree with what u say all of you without exception are talking ab out SQAUMOUS
CELL Cancer which I agree does spread to other organs but my point is I had a rare canacer called mucoid epidermoid minor salivary gland which does not spread to other oragns when it is low graDE. That is why as you so rightly say it depends om the diagnosis as nearly all mouth cancers are sqamous cell therfore it is important ot remove it quickly. but mine would not spread they had ajob to find it and it was low grade it fact it could have been there a long time for all i know thats how big it was you all had symptoms I did not I thought i was bomb proof so that why i am so angry about it. had i had sqamous cell it would have been different. Perhaps you understand a little better now

Hi

Its me again just to finish it off

How would you have liked to have ahd a neck dissection when there was not a spot of cancer there I could have told tyhem that we all know our own bodies better than anyone else so plese dont patronise me with your lucky they foun d it etc etc because i am not lucky they found it Would have coped much better without knowing eeven if it did me in in the end couls have coped with that at my time of life