Candida - Fungus - Dysplasia

ProustLover
ProustLover Member Posts: 121 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi, Everyone - 

In October I posted under this topic, but it was a casualty of the site's techno snafu.  So, to recap, in 2016 my husband underwent hemiglossectomy for Stage 1 SCC HPV+ BOT cancer.  This followed years of monitoring a patch of leukoplakia which would come and go.  Surgery was the sole treatment, and it went well except for a granuloma ("nodule") which developed at surgery site.  Nodule was removed, but sore spot was painful and slow to heal...still, it was healing until 2018 when there were mets to neck, followed by surgery, radiation, and chemo.  The treatment wrecked havoc with everything, and the sore spot was just one of assorted woes. 

Fast forward to October 2018, about 6 months post treatment.  Recovery slow, but on track, except that sore spot never healed.  We called attention to it at every oppointment, but consensus unanimous that it was from radiation and would eventually heal.  Finally, when it seemed to be getting worse, his dental oncologist did a biopsy which revealed candida fungus and (this is what freaked me out) mild dysplasia.  Felt like just waiting to morph into cancer again.  Given a prescription for a triamcinolone paste (which did nothing) and then went through two cycles of fluconazole pills and nystaton rinse.  Seemed to help at first, but then did not help and seemed to aggravate. 

Doctor/surgeon spent an unprecendented amount of time explaining the frustrating nature of these oral patches, and lack of any consistently proven treatment.  Clinical trials asuggest possible use of metformin in resolving these patches iin patients (non-diabetic).  This is currently an off market use of metformin, but we'll be giving in a try for the next chunk of time.  Laser ablation is also an option, but husband will put that off due to level of existing soreness and doctor's info that patches return in 50% of cases following laser.  Frustrating nature of oral patches ndeed.  Also, they made him a tooth guard to keep any tooth from rubbing on spot.  

All that talk about dysplasia and nodules kind of obscured the great news from yesterday's appointment:  Second CT scan (now almost a year post-treatment) shows NED in head, neck, or chest.  Overjoyed about that....but having a dysplasia spot feels like a shoe waiting to drop, although doctors stress that it is not cancer.  This is a teaching hospital, with an excellent surgeon and team.   Thanks for listening...this site has been with us from the start....  

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    I like your report of NED!

    ProustLover,

    While I am certainly happy for your report of NED in head, neck and chest (this NED is important, it has maintained a clear status for a year). The dysplasia and nodules you have described herein is disheartening (somewhat). It has not developed into full blown cancer and the treatment of fluconazole pills and nystatin rinse, seem to be the standard treatment and have been shown to be effective in controlling the pre-cancerous growth.

    It is difficult to deal with any of the H&N cancers, but some of these conditions turn out to be more difficult to understand and to treat.  I hope all of your efforts will be rewarded with a “WHOLE BODY NED”.

    Take care,

    Matt

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,466 Member
    #3
    ProustLover Your Husband

    Has been through a lot. Especially the spot that wouldn't heal. And as his supporter you suffer somewhat too as we watch our loved ones go through this journey it sure helps to have a loving spouse. But I want to say HURRAY for the NED report and congratulations and by the way, forget about that other shoe and enjoy life. God Bless

  • ProustLover
    ProustLover Member Posts: 121 Member
    #4
    wbcgaruss said:

    ProustLover Your Husband

    Has been through a lot. Especially the spot that wouldn't heal. And as his supporter you suffer somewhat too as we watch our loved ones go through this journey it sure helps to have a loving spouse. But I want to say HURRAY for the NED report and congratulations and by the way, forget about that other shoe and enjoy life. God Bless

    Thanks, staunch allies!

    Thanks for listening....things look better today...it's quite balmy on the shores of Lake Erie!  

  • ProustLover
    ProustLover Member Posts: 121 Member
    #5
    ProustLover said:

    Thanks, staunch allies!

    Thanks for listening....things look better today...it's quite balmy on the shores of Lake Erie!  

    Other shoe dropped (a little)

    Hi, All!  Background to this update is in my first post on this page.  Since then, the offending spot on husband's tongue quickly transformed from mild to severe dysplasia, (biopsy inconclusive between severe dysplasia and cancer in situ).  Doctor quickly scheduled CO2 ablation, believing situation to be non-invasive.  Ablation and another biopsy were performed about two weeks ago.  Happily, pathology confimed non-invasion, and doctor thinks he removed all dysplasia.  He recounted experience with other HPV+ tongue cancer patients, with oral lesions recurring multiple times.  This started with leukoplakia in 2009, Stage I tongue cancer in 2016, metastatic BOT SCC in 2018, and now this.  Recovery from the ablation is on track (still on liquid diet - such a drag after getting past the whole radiation thing last year), but not as painful as he thought it would be.  Healing from laser ablation generally takes 6 to 8 weeks.  Relief, for sure, that this was zapped before it went any further.  Thanks for listening.  We think of you all everyday.  

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,466 Member
    #6
    ProustLover Glad for You

    Things seem to be heading in the right direction. Glad the Ablation was successful. 6-8 weeks will be by quickly and hope your husband gets fully recovered from all this and soon regular eating and some normal living. You folks have been a help and inspiration to me-thanks-God bless

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