Hello my husband was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in July of 08. The cancer was in his tongue and on 4 of his lymphnodes in his neck. He had surgery to remove half the tongue (replaced with a falp) and they removed 20 lymphnodes (4 w cancer) The doctors said the surgery was a success and he had clean margins with no reason to think there was any cancer left. After surgery there was a lot of swelling. Particularly under the chin. There was also a hard lump. We were told it would go away. After the surgery my husband had radiation (6 weeks) and chemo. The lump under the chin is still there. My husband saw 3 doctors all of which said it was normal. Then today we saw a 4th, a specialist in the head and neck cancer area and he said it is not normal and he is concerned about it (he is the one that did the surgery and said it was normal in the begining) now my husband has to go for another pet scan and biopsy. I am really worried about this. He is only 27. What besides cancer could this be? It is large, golf ball size, Painfull, hard and irregularly shaped. Thank you!

Hi Momma

Welcome to the club no one wants to join.

Sorry to read about your husband. I had surgery very similar to his (hemiglossectomy, tongue flap, new floor on the left side of my mouth) with 50 nodes removed; I was lucky, though, I didn't need radiation or chemo. It's hard to say what the lump under his chin might be. How long has it been there? These are still early days, and he has been through quite a bit, but trust me, things will get better.

How are YOU holding up?

Julia

Thank you for sharing your story. It gives me a bit of hope that things will get back to normal. I think today is the first day I let myself realize this could all wind up in an unhappy ending. Knowing others beat it helps. He has had the lump 6 months, it showed up the day after the surgery and worsened with radiation. The radiation doc. said he thought it was because that was a spot they were blasting with radiation. The doctor today said it wouldn't be hard from radiation and that is why he is worried about it. Yikes!

Hi! Momma,
You MAY not need to panic too much as it could be a "Dewlap" and these go away after a while and sometimes there needs to be some massaging of the lump. I went through a similar problem although mine never got real hard, but if you read up on some of the other members who are happy to talk you will find several members who where simarly afflicted and most have returned to normal.
Hang in there and try the massaging and keep putting cream on the radiated site.
"Stay Strong"
Trev

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr Vinod K Joshi,

Thanks for the input. As it turned out it was cancer.....

Hello momma, I am so sorry to hear this news you must be feeling really devasted it so hard to take this on board after everything he has gone through and I do appreciate he is so young
it is such a terrible disease and age is something it seems to totally ignore.

I am sure there will be some kind of treatment they can do to keep things under control for a longer period of time than you can maybe imagine .

I do understand your question about how other peoples cancer have had spread to a different area but seem to be able to find a cure like the famous cyclist .I'm afraid I have no answer for that, but don't give up ask all these questions to your oncologist they are the ones who know what is available .New trials are starting all the time and there may be one for your husband.

I do hope there is something else to help your husband .Please keep us posted .

Thinking of you both .

Bell .

Hi momma

I feel so bad for you and your husband. What are the doctors planning?

Julia

More chemo. We're going to the Mayo clinic to see what else can be done....

Hi! Mommaof1,
I am so srry to hear your husbands results and feel for you both, there is not a lot a times like this when asking questions is the thing to do but with you husbands first treatment of the cancer did they find the "Primary Cause"? I am sure the Doctrs will know the best road to go down for treatment.
Hang in there and "Stay Strong"
TREV

Dear Momma, so sorry to hear your news and am wondering how you are both doing.

Cathy