Cancer spread to port site

donfoo said:

Thanks for sharing

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for sharing the information about cancer at the port site. That is a new one for me.  What was the original diagnosis (stage, nodes, etc.) ? Since he had chemo I guess that did not get all the microscopic cells? Did the doctors speculate how the cancer spread to that area? It seems very unusual.

From the video, the cancer spread there once, was removed, then another grew back in the same spot? When it was removed they did say they had negative margins, right? Remember how much they had? It seems the second tumor there likely grew from left over cells from the first tumor, right?

I'm sure others are interested to hear more about this sort of recurrence even though it is rare.

Don

He was IVA stage.  T1 N2C MO lesion on base of tongue, metastasized to lymphnodes in both sides of the neck.  Pathology: Immunostain for P16 strongly and diffusely positive in in situ carcinoma.   Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cancer.  He had 7 chemo treatments with the 35 radiation treatments.  For it to show up in the port site it had to travel through the blood to get there.  The radiologist told us today, he was certain it was the same cancer and certain it is in his blood.  The surgeon and the ENT also say it traveled through the blood and spread from the neck.  The oncologist says for it to have come from the neck it had to have traveled through the blood.  After the port was removed a tumor formed.  The surgeon removed the tumor and when tested there was no clear margin, and before another surgery could be scheduled, the tumor came back.  It grew fast.  The first one formed in three weeks time.  The second one done about the same.  As I wrote earlier, the radiologist who is very experienced in this said it's only the second time in 30 years of practice that he has seen this happen, but it's happened, to "my" husband.

Ladylacy said:

Cancer

I have wondered and even asked the doctors this question about squamous cell cancer -- can it spread thru the blood to other parts of the body.  My husband over the years has had several places on his face that proved to be SCC.   Then in 2010 it was found in his laryx which necessitated 35 radiation and 3 chemo treatments then surgery to remove his larynx.  All margins were clear and no spread was found.  Then one year later it was found at the cervical of his esophagus.  Specialist calls it a second primary but still SCC.  More radiation and chemo since surgery was ruled out and only NED for 3-4 months when found that it had returned at the cervical of his esophagus and found in his right lung.  He declined further treatment because only thing offered was chemo and we were told up front it wouldn't cure only prolong and possibly hasten his time.

So I have wondered if the SCC was in his blood to begin with when it was removed from his face or did it get into his blood from the SCC on his face.  I remember talking with a lady while her husband was undergoing radiation as mine at the same time.  She said her husband had been fighting cancer for several years.  He had a spot on his head that turned out to be SCC and when they removed it they found that the cancer was all the way down to his brain.  They were just giving his several radiation treatments on his brain to help because he wanted to keep fighting.  He only received 5 treatments and that was the last I saw of them.

Personally I don't think doctors even begin to know what causes cancer, how it spreads, how to treat it effectively.  It is just a guessing game and many get lucky and survive while others don't. 

Sharon

 

By "studied" I mean I read "eveything" I could find on it.  From what I found if it's in your blood this cancer can float around until it finds a vulnerable or traumatized area of the body and then it attaches itself to that area.  The port site was a traumatized and vulnerable area.  It changed colors, like it was bruised and it swelled up.  The doctor removed the port and left the site open to drain.  It healed from the inside out, but never closed up at the opening.  A trumor grew there and it grew fast.  Both the Surgeon and the ENT and now the Radiologist all say it spread there through the blood.  The oncologist said this type of cancer doesn't usually, (normally) spread like this, to the port site but it has.  It comes back in the neck, or spreads to the lungs.  Now, that it's in his blood it can show up anywhere.

Has anyone had a problem months after treatment with neck swelling?  My husband had a ct scan done today, of his neck, as his has swollen.  He took some strong antibiotics and steroids and it went down some and then began swelling back up about 3 days before he was finished with the meds.  I have a cd of tghe ct scan.  I got it up on the computer but can't tell anything about it.  Can anyone read a ct scan?

CivilMatt said:

Edema

Tweety1480

The edema caused by (radiation) disruption of the lymphatic system does cause swelling of the neck in many of us.

There is massage technics discussed in the Superthread.  Also, insurance often covers a number of therapeutic massages.

Matt

Thanks for the info on the edema.

I've dealt with the hospital, settlement offered on one, but we can't come up with it, barely making the large number of payments per month.  Have to go to court today for one hospital bill.  I just don't know what else to do.  I've tried all the charitable orgs and we don't qualify for help.  I've gone all the routes.  I think this is something a lot of people face when in a battle with cancer from what I've seen and read.  It just gets overwhelming at times having to deal with it and trying to figure out a way to do anything about it.  The expenses have been great with this cancer but he's worth it all.  I don't sign anything.