SCC Tonsils

siddharth_singh
siddharth_singh Member Posts: 4
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hi all,

I am from India. I came to know that I have a tonsil cancer grade II, after my biopsy test. Can anyone suggest me how should I proceed. Till now:

1 - I had pain in my throat and could see a patch, so consulted an ENT specialist. Doc suggested for Biopsy.

2 - Biopsy done, report says -

a) Microscopic finding: Material submitted shows invasive carcinoma showing grade II nuclear changes and squamous differentiation.
b) Opinion: MODERATELY DIFFERENTIATED SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA, TONSIL

I hope you can understand, I am little shaken and cant share it with my family. By the way I am 36, and used to smoke about 40 cigarettes a day. From last 3 months I was smoking only 4 to 5.

Kindly educate me a little on this.

Thanks all..

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    I'm going to assume that treatment in India
    is the same as it is here...possible surgery with radiation and chemotherapy. No doubt you are shaken...cancer is a scary diagnosis, and being so young it makes it more shocking.

    I hope you are saying that you can't share this with your family at this moment, but you plan to do so before you start treatment. There is no way to hide this kind of treatment from loved ones. For yourself, there are emotional benefits to having loved ones know what you're going through, and you'll very likely need their help.

    There are many tounsil cancer survivors here that will be able to give you more specific information on what you're looking at. I had NPC (behind the nose), so my radiation was directed at a different area, and of course...surgery was not an option.

    You might as well quit those last 4 or 5 cigarettes a day...there is no safe level of smoking. Once in treatment you probably won't feel like smoking anyway.

    p
  • AJW1966
    AJW1966 Member Posts: 68
    #3
    My opinion
    Welcome to the board and sorry you are going through this. There IS hope and light at the end of the tunnel!
    The best course of action would be to sit with an ENT Oncologist and have them explain the exact circumstances and they should lay out one or more courses of action. I believe they are the only ones qualified to help you in this area but you do need to see them.
    The family will need to know sooner or later, especially your spouse. You will need them for support.
    All the best and please hang out here and post, this is a great forum with lots of caring, wonderful, understanding and knowledgeable people.

    Alan
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #4
    Take a deep breath
    I too am a 16 year survivor of tonsil cancer so that should provide a bit of relief. I had radiation and chemo (5fu and DDP) at the same time. My problem was with nausea on the first day. Today the durgs for that are much better and I don't see as many people living with their heads in the toilet as I was which is good. I did not have a PEG tube and wasn't offered one back then. I did get a port inserted in my chest so the chemo could be administered there and not eat up the veins. I did lose an excessive amount of weight simply because I was too tired to eat and later in the treatments my throat was too raw. Get your teeth checked beacuse many people have problems in that area.

    The good news is that while you are in for a tough fight, most tonsil cases are very curable.

    Get yur family involved if possible because you will need them. I was a single parent so my friends and brother were able to help me especially in the later days of treatment.

    Stay on this site and ask questions, lots of questions. There are very few situations that at least some of us have not experienced.


    Good luck and keep us posted.

    Denny
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    Welcome....
    Sorry to hear your news...

    But you have landed here on an awesome site with tons of good people, and tons of experience.

    Myself, I was diagnoed in January 2009 with STGIII SCC Tonsil Cancer.

    The tonsils came out first, and then I went through nine weeks (three week cycles)of infused chemo, then seven weeks of concurrent weekly chemo with 35 daily radiation treatments...

    Cisplatin
    Taxotere
    5FU
    Carboplatin

    IMRT Radiation

    Your disease is very treatable these days, and has a high success rate of recovery.

    Here is a link that has a lot of very good information. It's mainly from contributions from the many on here. Put to a link from a forum member (sweetblood22 - Dawn).

    SuperThread

    I'm sure many will chime nin for a welcome and to drop some suggestions/comments your way.

    Best,
    John
  • NoDuck
    NoDuck Member Posts: 134
    #6
    Another Tonsil Cancer Here
    My hubby was SCC left tonsil stage 3. Diagnosed April 2012 completed treatment July 2012 first clean PET scan October 2012.

    His treatment was 34 rads and cisplatin chemo. He was supposed to have three chemo treatments but contracted a bacterial infection and was unable to take the last Cisplatin treatment. That worried us at first but he is NED ( No Evidence of Disease) with two instead of three chemo treatments.

    He had a PEG tube from the beginning and still lost 40 pounds because of the nausea from the chemo. His regret is that he did not have a port or PICC line put in. The theory was he was only getting stuck with a needle three times for the chemo. But he got dehydrated and needed to get stuck a lot more. He was a hard stick anyway and then his veins kept blowing out. So if you get the option, take a port or PICC. It is way better than being a human pin cushion.

    Come back with questions. Lots of folks here to help.

    Deb
  • siddharth_singh
    siddharth_singh Member Posts: 4
    #7
    NoDuck said:

    Another Tonsil Cancer Here
    My hubby was SCC left tonsil stage 3. Diagnosed April 2012 completed treatment July 2012 first clean PET scan October 2012.

    His treatment was 34 rads and cisplatin chemo. He was supposed to have three chemo treatments but contracted a bacterial infection and was unable to take the last Cisplatin treatment. That worried us at first but he is NED ( No Evidence of Disease) with two instead of three chemo treatments.

    He had a PEG tube from the beginning and still lost 40 pounds because of the nausea from the chemo. His regret is that he did not have a port or PICC line put in. The theory was he was only getting stuck with a needle three times for the chemo. But he got dehydrated and needed to get stuck a lot more. He was a hard stick anyway and then his veins kept blowing out. So if you get the option, take a port or PICC. It is way better than being a human pin cushion.

    Come back with questions. Lots of folks here to help.

    Deb

    Thanks
    Thanks everyone.

    Sorry for replying so late first of all. I took everyone's advice and informed my family. Cant believe it was so much needed. Brother, Sister, Father, Mother and obviously my wife. I am blessed with such wonderful people around me and now everything looks so easy.

    Consulting an oncologist, Dr. Ranga Rao. He is got a wonderful record and he is a very fine doctor. I will be going through the following:

    - 35 radio therapy sessions
    - 7 chemotherapy sessions

    basically 7 weeks (monday to friday)

    Starting my treatment from Monday onwards. Thanks again everyone. Will update & ask questions if I need any help.

    Thanks a ton

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