Completed radiation and chemo. But still have lump.

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Doug Fight1234
Doug Fight1234 Member Posts: 6
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Im hoping someone has insight.  I completed Chemo and radiation on Sept 1st.  I still have lump on side of my neck almost size of an egg.   I dont have a PTcan until November.  Can anyone tell me if they experience this and lump went away on its own so you didn't need surgery. I am really concerned that after all this treatment I will still need surgery. Any insight would be appreciated.  I'm hoping it will go away before November.

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  • soonermom
    soonermom Member Posts: 155
    #2
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    Node

    My husband still had a a large residual node after treatment ended.  There was a complicated decision making process about what to do about it.  We ended up doing nothing and waiting for the PET results before making any decisions.  Was your tumor HPV positive?  We were told they may take longer to involute.  21 weeks post-treatment he can no longer feel the node at all.  The encouraging thing I can tell you is that my husband had a PET scan 3 months after treatment ended and he was NED.  He is on a 9 day motorcycle trip to Canada right now.  He is back to work full-time.  He will go in for his second checkup not long after he returns from his trip.  So, try not to stress too much but we know from experience that is easier said than done.  

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    edited September 2017 #3
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    Kind of unusual

    What do the doctors said about the lump? They are the experts who have the best information about your case and most expertise to advise you about what it is and what to expect. Every case is unique so its best to get their opinion. Call them tomorrow

  • Doug Fight1234
    Doug Fight1234 Member Posts: 6
    #4
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    More info

    thank you for the information and responses.  The Cancer is HPV.  The lump is the tumor on neck. It really hasn't gone down from treatment and after treatment. 

  • slogan
    slogan Member Posts: 1
    #5
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    Lump

    My father had base of tongue cancer that metastasized to 2 lymph nodes. He had a very aggressive treatment plan which included chemoradiation - 5 weeks on-and-off of constant chemo, with radiation twice a day. He had a pretty sizable tumor in his neck that hadn't gone away after the treatment. The doctors said that 1 out of 10 times, the cancer is gone but they didn't want to take the risk (because it could be a "ticking time bomb") and recommended removing it, along with removing all the lymph nodes from the affected side of his neck a.k.a. radical neck dissection. We trusted the docs and went ahead with the surgery in March (his treatment ended on Jan 13th of this year). My recommendation is if you go forward with the surgery, don't wait too long after treatment has ended because the earlier you do it, the easier healing will be since it takes a full 3 months for radiation to do all of its damage. We have no regrets in doing the surgery because it gave us a piece of mind that the node that had the cancer in it is completely removed from his body. Makes the 3-month scans more bearable and less stressful! Compared to treatment, surgery is not that bad. Pain and numbness for a month post-surgery is what my Dad experienced but nothing Aleve can't help with. He is also sensitive to cold so he'll make sure to wear a scarf when it's cold out. 

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