Posts by shadowbison75

The last line of the CT report says: several pathological lymph nodes were noted in the 2nd and 3rd regions on the left, showing central necrosis, measuring up to 26x13 mm.

Eric Newman75 said:Radiation therapy works well for oral cancers, so it’s a standard approach. I can't tell if the tumor is way bigger than those two centimeters mentioned or if it's sitting right on top of critical nerves, but radiation should shrink it down. Surgeons are likely aiming to save tissue, which would be a major win... if they can preserve the swallowing reflex, the patient's quality of life improves drastically. But there's that catch I mentioned—there are nerves at the base of the tongue that control swallowing. If surgery cuts through them, the patient is stuck with a nasogastric tube for life.

Yeah, it's already more than 2 cm: "...AP diameter measures 5 cm, LL measures 4.5 cm." (CT scan results) 😢

Angela Wright said:The radiation is definitely aimed at shrinking the tumor down enough to make surgery an option.
Just gotta keep fighting. Life is nothing but ups and downs... this is no different. It’ll get better eventually.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Reddit

What are the actual odds of surviving on radiation alone?
Is it just buying a little more time, or is there a chance the tumor actually stabilizes...

Checking in with an update on my dad... unfortunately, there isn't much good news.

The tumor is too large to operate on right now 😔. They haven't decided if they're going with radiation, chemo, or some combination of both yet.

They’ll be putting in a feeding tube and performing a tracheotomy today or tomorrow.

I tried so hard to stay positive all these days, but now I just feel completely crushed...

They ran the CT scan today... To my untrained eyes, it looks like things are actually worse than what the specialist concluded during the exam.😢

Eric Newman75,

how are you doing now? what was your diagnosis?

I'm worried about how he'll handle this mentally. Just terrified of it all...
Can't be by his side, can't even hear him over the phone because his speech is so weak...

Eric Newman75 said:The doctors at the Mayo Clinic told me most tumors are caught just through a standard visual and physical exam of the mouth and neck. They'll definitely send my dad for more tests—it's necessary for an accurate diagnosis and surgery planning—but what’s written is likely correct. Once the carcinoma is in situ, the prognosis looks good. It gets bad once it spreads to the neck; that’s automatically stage three. I assume it can be surgically removed, though he'll need reconstruction and probably adjuvant radiation therapy.

The specialist saw him yesterday and did a thorough exam, checking his neck and everything...

He was told immediately to come in today for hospitalization at the ENT ward.
Recommendations: A CT scan of the head and neck with contrast and prep for Eta.

So, I guess they're starting all that today.

The doctor also mentioned they might insert a tube (?) to help him breathe easier and use a feeding tube since he's lost so much weight. My mom is relaying everything to me.
It's harder because of COVID... Mom was the only one allowed with him at the exam yesterday, and they barely let her in.

Eric Newman75, thanks for checking in.

I’ve been looking through the stages... just wondering if you might know how reliable that initial diagnosis from the ENT specialist actually is: ...N0Mx

Can a specialist really be that certain without a CT scan or more testing?

Honestly, I started clinging to a tiny bit of hope when I saw that ...N0Mx
...

Hi everyone,

I've read through both threads here, but I feel like I have to chime in too... unfortunately.

My dad (63) was rushed to an ENT specialist after struggling to swallow, having trouble speaking, and losing weight. After the exam, he was given this diagnosis: Tm oropharyngis sin T2N0Mx.

Status: Left hypoglossal nerve palsy, coated tongue, limited mobility.
ILS and fiberoscopy show exophytic mass at the base of the tongue extending to the left tonsillar fossa, infiltrating the epiglottis. The aditus is narrowed but still sufficient; poor view of the glottis.
Neck palpation shows no resistance.

Can anyone offer some insight from experience or advice... just how serious is this diagnosis? What does treatment look like?
Anything you can say would mean everything right now... I'm in total shock.😢