Just thought i'd say hello as this website has been invaluable. My husband Robert who turned 42 on Sunday was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer on 1st Sept 06. He had visited his Doctor with persistent sore throats since October 05. This then progressed to chronic earache which was so bad that he couldn't sleep. After prescribing various courses of antibiotics and even throat lozengers the Doctor decided to refer him to our local hospital. The consultants were convinced that he had neuralgia but decided to admit him into hospital on 18 Aug to take a look down his throat. A routine biopsy was then taken and a very shocked consultant gave us the results last Friday that it was cancer. In the past week I have spent many hours absorbing the information on here. Thank you all for posting such in depth advice. It's made me feel so much better knowing what lies ahead. He went for an MRI scan last Tuesday and is going for a CT scan next Tuesday. We then meet with the Oncologist next Friday for the results (fingers crossed).

I can honestly say that this has been the worst week of my life but after reading everyones stories on here we know that this cancer can and will be beaten.

Hello Lorraine

It will be difficult for Robert and you, but you will both find the strength to see this through. We are here to help in any way we can.

Best wishes
Vinod

Hi Lorraine.
Robert is going to experience what many of us on here have been through with either surgery or Radiotherapy or both. It's difficult and the treatment is harsh, but you will find a wealth of tips and words of encouragement from everyone on here. Base of tongue ssc is what I was diagnosed with back in 2003. I won't say any of it was easy and it's a real test of strength and character as to how you deal with it but he will also need bags of support from yourself as he is likely to go through a period of depression from Radiotherapy side effects. Almost everyone does. Look back through some of the posts on this M/B and print out what is relevant to Roberts diagnosis. Just about everything you need to know can be found somewhere on here.
Base of tongue ssc if caught early is easily cured with Radiotherapy. Reccurence is often down to unhealthy habits and poor diet though not always. Generally recovery from this is good. Side effects are a seperate issue but help is at hand from our members.
My best wishes to both of you. Stick together and work as a team and you will be offering the same words of encouragement as I do in a couple of years from now.
Keep us posted.
Steve

Hello Lorraine I'm so sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. It's such a frightening time for you both but it's good that you have found this site. As Steve has already said there will always be someone who can help and hopefully come up with some advice for you and Robert over the coming weeks and months. Robert is lucky to have you there to support him and that will make his journey so much easier. Until you have the results of the scans you won't know what course of treatment Robert will have. Please let us know the outcome next week and, as you have said yourself, whatever is in store - you and your husband will fight it and eventually beat it. All good wishes. Brenda.

Hello Lorraine my thoughts are with both you and your husband through this very difficult time. It is great that you have found this website so early on and your barvery to talk to us is great keep us posted if you need any words of wisdom they will be here the days and months that lie ahead are not easy but the one thing i know that gets you through is Support i hope you have many friends and family that can support you the way you clearly are supporting your husband in these difficult times ahead support is invaluble and counts for more than anything else. You are right this cancer can be beaten.

All my best wishes Melx

Hello all, the results of the MRI and CT scans were encouraging and showed that the cancer is confined to the base of Robert's tongue. Unfortunately the hospital wouldn't be able to start his chemo until another 4 weeks. The oncologist explained that this wait could mean that the tumor could have grown by then and render the scans useless. After a lot of discussions one of the nurses said she would work through her lunch break to fit Robert's PICC. So now his chemo is starting this Thursday and will last 3 weeks. The oncologist is part of a research team funded by Cancer Research and has asked if Robert will take part in a trial to see if one of his salivary glands can be saved during Radiotherapy treatment. We will probably find out more tomorrow when we have an appointment at the Radiotherapy department but I would be interested to know everyones views on this as most of you have been through this treatment. Many thanks for all of your support through this, it's OK talking to family and friends but you all really know what we're going through. x x

Hello Lorraine

It is great news that one of the medical team have volunteered in such a huge way to get your husband back on track.
Its brilliant that your husband is taking part in the study its the only way we will make positive progress with fighting this cruel disease and its affects.
Try and stay strong and positive through the next hurdle the chemo which is one of the hardest points your husband and you will face
we are here if you need any support or advice

Melxx

I am not really sure on this.(saving a salivary gland). Why not save all of them?
If you want to be a 100 per cent sure of catching all cancer cells - you know what you have to do! Irradiate the lot of them.

good luck - Tony K

Hello Lorraine, I wanted to write to you and say how I connected with the similar problems our husbands have. My husband last September also was diagnosed with tongue and throat cancer he had lymph nodes on the left side of his neck taken out then the primary tumor at the base of his tongue was going to be treated with radiation and chemo. We have now finished all this and he is in remission, the think that has been hard now is accepting the slowness of his healing. He thought that after all of the treatment he would improve quickly but this is not the case. He has so much trouble with swelling of the neck in the morning, eating and drinking also still a problem and the mouth ulcers won't go away. I was wondering if your husband has been suffering the same and if he had any helpful hints. I have been reading some of the other peoples advice and we will try propping his pillows up tonight and massage his throat in the morning. I look forward in hearing from you and God Bless you both.

Lorraine, did they give you a stage number for your husbands cancer? How is he now?