How long have you survived
Comments
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6 years this ThanksgivingCrazymom said:Seven Months
seven months since I ended radiation for SCC left tonsil, two left lymph nodes.. last two scans showed no cancer!
Ann
Stage 4, SSC bot, met to lymphnode. 8 weeks rad, 2 weeks chemo, surgery to remove 5 lymphnodes. Yearly check-up this Thursday, the 4th of October. Zero side-effects, no issues.
Here's to EVERYONE on this site. May God Bless each and everyone!0 -
It's A Great Day To Be Alive!
Twelve years since my diagnosis & treatment for Stage IV H&N cancer. After two surgeries, 38-sessions of radiation and, everyone's favorite, chemo-therapy, it's a great day to be alive! Since then I've ridden my bike (the pedal variety) >100K-miles, traveled extensively with my family, taken terrific vacations, raced LOTOJA 7-times, worked, ridden from Reno to SLC 11-times, raised >$300K for cancer research, and loved every breath I've been blessed to take. It truly is a great day to be alive!0 -
It is so encouraging to usbogey4on17 said:It's A Great Day To Be Alive!
Twelve years since my diagnosis & treatment for Stage IV H&N cancer. After two surgeries, 38-sessions of radiation and, everyone's favorite, chemo-therapy, it's a great day to be alive! Since then I've ridden my bike (the pedal variety) >100K-miles, traveled extensively with my family, taken terrific vacations, raced LOTOJA 7-times, worked, ridden from Reno to SLC 11-times, raised >$300K for cancer research, and loved every breath I've been blessed to take. It truly is a great day to be alive!
It is so encouraging to us "newcomers" to see these posts. It truly is a great day to be alive.
As my husband always says, Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.0 -
It is so encouraging to usbogey4on17 said:It's A Great Day To Be Alive!
Twelve years since my diagnosis & treatment for Stage IV H&N cancer. After two surgeries, 38-sessions of radiation and, everyone's favorite, chemo-therapy, it's a great day to be alive! Since then I've ridden my bike (the pedal variety) >100K-miles, traveled extensively with my family, taken terrific vacations, raced LOTOJA 7-times, worked, ridden from Reno to SLC 11-times, raised >$300K for cancer research, and loved every breath I've been blessed to take. It truly is a great day to be alive!
It is so encouraging to us "newcomers" to see these posts. It truly is a great day to be alive.
As my husband always says, Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.0 -
love your thoughttuffenuff said:i swear every time i see
i swear every time i see your posts i think your name says firstpotpie
i hated and always have hated pot pies since the first one my mother made me eat.... yuck that would have been 45 plus years ago.
i know many think much worse than pot pies when they see it
by the way fisrpotpe = forced into semi retirement put out to pasture early..... the company i worked for let me go after the second go round with cancer
like your tatoo's
john0 -
3 years nowPam M said:Hi - Six Months
Sure is good to see those bigger numbers. Me, I was stage IV scc Base of Tongue (T2N2). Six months since treatment ended March 16; treatment was nine weeks of induction chemo (Cisplatin,Taxotere and 5-FU) followed by seven weeks of radiation with weekly chemo (Carboplatin). Scans are good (watching one node).
3 years now. SCC of the right lymph nodes unknown primary. Clinical trial with Erbitux at U of Chicago. 8 weeks of induction chemo with Erbitux, Carboplatin & Taxol Then 5 alternating weeks of concurrent chemo/twice daily rads again with Erbitux,5FU & hydroxyurea.0 -
Exactly Three Years Ago As Of Today (01/27/2013)
I'm a 3-year T1N2pM0 Stage IV survivor that's been NED since the radical neck dissection.
Originally detected swollen lymph node(s) in my neck behind my ear (during a shower) between Christmas and New Year's in December 2009. Had to wait until after New Year's to see the doctor. Had a CAT scan in early January, followed by two fine needle biopsies as the first one was inconclusive. Pathology from the second one came back on January 27th, 2010: Squamous Cell Carcinoma, metastatic to at least two lymph nodes. Originated from SCC skin cancer, and we were reasonably certain we had identified the lesion, although there was always some thought we might have been dealing with an occult primary that came and went (almost certainly skin SCC though).
Had a modified radical neck dissection less than a week after the DX, removing 22 lymph nodes and the parotid gland on that side. Pathology detected full involvement in 6 nodes plus extensions forming into the parotid (from the 2 largest and necrotic nodes). The extent of node involvement classes it Stage IV. Proceeded with six weeks of adjuvant radiation therapy. Concurrent chemotherapy, while fairly uncommon, was not deemed statistically beneficial in my case (SCC of cutaneous and not of oral cavity origin). The surgery and radiation are a gift that keeps on giving, and undoubtedly will for the rest of my life. There are significant side effects, some temporary and some permanent. I've been able to cope with them without any impinging on my activities, lifestyle, or maintaining a high level of fitness. My physical activities include endurance road cycling over very long distances, and cross-country skiing on groomed and un-groomed trails. Not just a survivor, I'm a thriver, and am convinced that attaining and maintaining a high level of fitness (especially cardio-vascular) improves nearly all prognoses.
Been NED since the surgery (Feb 2nd 2010): no evidence of any detectable internal metastases.
Although it's not considered relapse or recurrence of the original, I have had to continually deal with squamous and basal cell carcinomas appearing in various locations. They've all been dealt with in situ (in the epidermis) which is fiarly simple. Most recently, a dermatology exam found a suspicious lentigo on my neck, within an inch if the neck dissection incision and on the edge of the radiation field. Shave biopsy revealed the beginnings of melanoma. Melanoma surgery at the beginning of January excised the entire lesion and biopsy showed melanoma in situ (Stage 0), fully contained in the epidermis with 3mm margin (at closest point). Not as much margin as would normally be desired (in situ goal is 5mm margins) but it's good enough that a "do-over" to take more is unnecessary. I've dodged a BIG bullet.
The upshot of my situation is remaining vigilant for recurrence and I believe it's broadly applicable to all types of H&N cancers. The conditions that created the original can spawn another later, in spite of any lifestyle changes. That can halt increasing risk and often reduces risk, but does not entirely eliminate it. Self detection saved me 3 years ago. None too soon as it was found at the 11th hour. Early detection saved me this past November. Melanoma spreads so easily and so quickly that it's considered metastatic once it's beyond the epidermis and into the dermis, resulting in very aggressive and often morbid treatment.
Best wishes for continued survival success to all!
John
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What a response
What a wonderful positive response, tomorrow I start chemo (Erbitux) and look forward in the future to sharing my good fortune here.
Michael
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2 yearsI
It was 2 years last month found out I had a golf ball size tumor on my voice box{stage 3 Laryngeal cancer }after my first 2 rads and my first chemo 2 years ago tomorrow my hubby brought me home and I collasped in the floor and quit breathing and 2-3-11 my ent dr put a trach in because that tumor was obstructing my airway, 38 rads and 6 chemo and couldn't talk for a year, I go the 13th of this month to get my trach out, their is light at the end of this tunnell. bjw1955
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Great news to hearbjw1955 said:2 yearsI
It was 2 years last month found out I had a golf ball size tumor on my voice box{stage 3 Laryngeal cancer }after my first 2 rads and my first chemo 2 years ago tomorrow my hubby brought me home and I collasped in the floor and quit breathing and 2-3-11 my ent dr put a trach in because that tumor was obstructing my airway, 38 rads and 6 chemo and couldn't talk for a year, I go the 13th of this month to get my trach out, their is light at the end of this tunnell. bjw1955
I sure love reading about these longivity stories, Diagnosed 3 months ago I just finished third of 33 rads and first of 7 chemo tx for Stage IV SCC of left tonsil with 3 node involvement. I look forward to sharing my story as the years progress! Thanks
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How Long Have you Survived
My husband was diagnosed with t4B sinus cancer (invasive squamous cell carcinoma) 2 years ago (in 1 month 5 days). He was given 3 -6 months to live and offered pallitive care. We had only known each other and been dating for 3 months at that time. Through a series of miracles we found a team surgeons to save him. There was magical red shoes and very much love involved.
He underwent a crazy **** surgery to remove a tumor that had grown from the sinus to encompass his eye orbit and forehead bones and firmly attached it's ugly self to his center of thinking, his brain. Oh, and also found it's slimy way down to 20 lymph nodes. We were introduced to the joys of 38 radiation treatments just to be sure woo hoo.
Now two years out he amazes me everyday with his resolve to "carry on". He is unstoppable in his desire to get back to a new normal and live a wonderful life everyday. We have had our setbacks but somehow we get through.
Where there was no hope, we now have hope every second.
Always believe.
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right tonsil. 3 years next
right tonsil. 3 years next month. everything going well except still no taste at all and maybe half my saliva back
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Neck Discectionfisrpotpe said:14 years 9 Months
5 golf ball sized nodes wrapped around carodid on left side of neck. 38 treatments of radiation, 3 one week long 24 hour per day chemo treatments and radical neck disection.How did it go that is where Iam at and the Dr. honesty about all that can go wrong is scaring the hell out of me. They are going to cap off the caroid artary, but I get a test first to see If I can survive that. Also there's a nerve ending that controls my speech and swallowing them a name for it I've forgotten what it is that is also impacted is hoping within the next 30 days that the mass will go down further from the radiation and in so doing possibly pull away from the artery, but that doesn't sound too probable. I'm just hoping that it pulls away from the nerve so I am not going through speech therapy and learning how to swallow again. Does any of this sound familiar?
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3 years
3 years in march. right tonsil
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