I thought I would tell you the story of my father’s experience with tongue cancer.

Like many people he was unaware he had a problem. OK, he had an “irritating ulcer” on the side of his tongue that refused to heal but surely that was down to the fact that he kept accidentally biting it. Or maybe it was due to the time he sensitised his tongue tasting a particularly aggressive lime pickle at the balti house?

Eventually, he had had enough so went to the doctor feeling just a little foolish. I mean, he was a 6ft 4inch man going to tell a doctor about his sore tongue.

The doctor took a good look and said he thought it was probably just an ulcer but it was best to get it checked out at the hospital. So, 4 days later dad had an appointment at the maxillofacial dept of Burton hospital. His specialist took a look and commented “I’ve never seen anything like that before” (always a good thing to hear!) and told him to have a biopsy. OK, alarm bells were starting to ring here. Saturday morning and the biopsy – it felt as though the doctor had chopped half his tongue off and left him with 3 irritating stitches. The following week, back at the hospital, my mum knew something was wrong when the nurse came out and asked her to go into the consulting room.

“I’m sorry Mr Thompson, it is cancerous. Squamous Cell Carcinoma”. The words drilled a hole into my mum’s heart. “But it is very small so should be easily dealt with. 98% success rate”. This was the start of a very difficult week. Imagining the worst, we looked on the internet and found dreadful stories of people losing 7 & 8 stone in weight and became experts in SCC!!!

The next step was to be taken in for a day for all the pre-op tests and scans. Dad had everything. Blood, heart, lung, MRI, CAT scans. Then back to the hospital 3 days later to see the consultant. “Well Mr Thompson, we know it is cancer as the biopsy confirmed it but it is so small the MRI can’t find it”. We could happily have flung our arms around the consultant (didn’t though, didn’t want to terrify him). So dad is scheduled for a day surgery when they will cut a 1.5cm chunk out of his tongue. Unless his tongue swells he will be home the next day. No radiation, no chemo. Just 5 yrs of check ups.

So, there you have it, a happy story relating to tongue cancer. The message has to be, if you have any sore or ulcer on your tongue or in your mouth that refuses to heal, don’t be a martyr, go and see your doctor. Catch it early enough and you too can have a happy ending. It is only though the quick actions of our GP and the consultant that things have turned out so well.

It's good to hear a happy story for once.

My mum DIDN'T go soon enough and had half her tongue cut away, a flap from her tummy, radiation and all the things that go with it.

BUT - 2 yrs on, she is still here and battling.

Thanks for posting a positive story.

hi lelly
i am so pleased your dad had a good result,thanks for sharing your story with us,let us know how he gets on if you get time,kindest regards shirl x

Folks,

as requested an update:

4 weeks after the op dad is eating normally, talking normally and has stopped drooling. He even had a well deserved pint of beer!

So still moving forwards. Thanks to his wonderful doctor!!!

Had the post-op review and all the cancer is gone. Yay!

Hi Lelly

I've read your posts about your dad, and, to quote the great H. J. Simpson, WOO-HOO!

Julia

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Julia,

Hi Lelly

Wonderful news about your Dad.

I live near Leicester so was going to ask if he had been seen at the LRI like me, but see from your post he had his operation at Burton.

There are some great doctors around, aren't there?

Best wishes to you both.

Gwyn

Hi Gwen,

although dad was originally seen by the specialist in Burton he ended up at DRI for the surgery (which is where the consultant was based). It was easier for us to get to as well. I may live in leicestershire but we are right on the 4 counties boundaries and Derby is so much easier.

I was amazed by the support from DRI. You hear so many negative things about our poor beleagured NHS but when you really need it it is there for you.

The ward dad was on was spotless as well! Food wasn't bad either.

I found the same years ago in Birmingham when I needed major surgery and had 1 week between seeing the consultant and going under the knife.

So, I just wish people would stop knocking the NHS. it would be much worse if we had to pay for everythign up front (10s of thousands of pounds each time!)

Lelly

hi all
my brother had his tests in burton and is in the DRI now. he has cancer at the base of his tongue and a lump in his neck, not had the scan results, so they havn't decided on the treatment yet.
Ellen

Swad lass,

if yr brother is under the same consultant as my dad he will be well looked after.

Ward 16 in DRI?

Mr Laughern (or something similar, he is irish). Excellent work on dad's tongue and kept him informed all the way through.

Best of luck to him.

Hi Lelly and Ellen

I live near Leicester but I work in Swadlincote and Derby. So we are probably not too far from each other.

I completely agree with you, Lelly, the NHS is wonderful. I have had cancer twice and my treatment both times has been good - I cannot imagine how much it would have cost if I had had to pay! I was really impressed with the LRI when I had my tongue op - beautifully clean with staff who were friendly and caring (can't comment on the food cos I didn't have any).

Ellen - hope the scan results are as good as possible. Do let us know.

Best wishes

Gwyn

An update.

After the surgery dad has done very well. He is eating and drinking normally now.

However he did have a swollen tongue and it was quite sore. He mentioned it to the surgeon who recommended he have 2 teeth filed.

In at the dentist within 2 days (mention the "C" word and they are very helpful) and now he is much better. Still a bit slurry in speech but what do you expect when 1/3 of his tongue width has been chopped off!

Fabulous!

Hi Lelly, how nice to hear a success story. I went through exactly the same as your dad but unfortunately my ENT consultant did not do the bi opsy straight away as I wasn't in the right "age group,smoker,drinker etc" so after another 4 months of suffering and eventually a biopsy I too was told I had squamous Cell Carcinoma. By then it had got bigger,was removed but had become aggressive and then travelled into my lymph nodes in my neck. After a huge scar and 6 weeks radiotherapy I am now (fingers crossed) cancer free but its been a long,hard bloody journey.

The moral of this story is if they catch it quickly enough it can be stopped. I constantly tell friends,family, work mates to have any sores in their mouth checked straight away and demand 2nd opinions if need be. I constantly wonder what would have been if I'd have been diagnosed sooner.

But hey I'm here now so thats all that matters.

Give your dad a big hug for being brave and taking action, Sammy x

Hi Sammy my story started exaclty the same was as you. You can read mine oh here.
Glad your over the worse .

Paul

Couldn't agree more.
My lump on my tongue however, was ignored by my GP and it was only when it got too painful that I hauled myself to hospital to see an oncologist. Trust your own judgement. Some GP's don't have the time or the patience to take your fears seriously. If ever that's the case....get yourself off to hospital. An ulcer on the tongue is a classic sign of Carcinoma.