again

tesa
tesa Member Posts: 123
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Well, the doctors here at MUSC in Charleston, SC said my mother's biopsy was positive for recurrence. this after biopsy in same area showed negative for cancer in March. OMG!! The area is now along the eye muscle so they say they need to remove her entire left eye. We're so upset that we didn't go to MD Anderson in the beginning. now we're quickly trying to get a 2nd opinion there at Andrson before her surgery. I'm not even sure the pathologists here know what they're doing.Maybe they do, but mom is so stressed because first one was negative. This is at MUSC in Charleston, SC

This recurrence happened only a few months after her treatment in August for nasal and sinus cancer. She upset that after 6 weeks of traveling 2 hours for radiation we're now back to this. Isn't that a really short time for recurrence?

Comments

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #2
    I don't think I would be surprised to find out this was still the primary cancer, tesa, and not a recurrence, or at least that it be identified as such. There is a period of time which must pass after the treatment before it is considered a recurrence and not considerd the primary.

    I am sorry your mom, you and your family is going through this.

    Others will post, I'm sure, who have had a similar experience.
  • palmyrafan
    palmyrafan Member Posts: 396
    #3
    Eye Muscle
    Tesa,

    Just to clarify, is the tumor in the eye muscle or the optic nerve, or optic nerve chiasm. The only reason I ask is because I have tumors wrapped around my left optic nerve and my optic nerve chiasm (vortex) in between my eyes. I would see a doctor who specializes in tumors around the eyes. Here are a few that are in the 2010 9th Edition of "America's Top Doctors". This is how I found my optic nerve specialist in our area.

    1. Johnathan J. Dutton, Specialty: Oculoplastic Surgery, Eye Tumors/Eye Cancer. He is at the Univ. of NC Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC - #919-966-5296.

    2. Timothy Murray, Specialty: Retinal Disorders, Eye Tumors/Eye Cancer. Located at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami FL. #305-326-6166.

    3. Dr. David Tse, Specialty: Orbital Tumors. He is also at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL. #305-326-3086.

    4. Patrick Yeatts, Specialty: Oculoplastic Surgery/Orbital Tumors/Cancer/Orbital Diseases. He is located at: Wake Forest Univ. Baptist Med. Center in Winston-Salem, NC. #336-716-4081.

    I hope this helps. Best of luck to your mother and your family. I would definitely get a 2nd opinion.

    Teresa

Discussion Boards