I’m a little over a year out of treatment and still cancer free

wbcgaruss said:

Charmit Congratulations

And God Bless for hitting that one-year milestone now you can start adding more. I have not had neck dissection only radiation so I am not sure about the soreness but I believe you could experience it maybe a year or more out of treatment as to what I have read from others on here. Especially with having both radiation and a dissection. Has the soreness diminished in intensity over time or is it as it was when you first got it? Anyway, that is the routine I had after my treatment, go to the ENT every month, then later every 2 months, 3 months, etc. Since you were going to your appointments and the doc did not feel anything was abnormal and your recovery was progressing as expected I wouldn't worry. I was told after I was done with treatment that my ENT would be my front line guy to watch over me and watch for anything abnormal going on, so if you have an ENT you are comfortable with trust in him. If something is bothering you go in for an extra appointment right away, they don't mind. Better to be safe than sorry. Take care-God Bless

Congrats Charmit!, on the one year. I also had neck dissection and about 8 months out from last rad treatment and still have some soreness that comes and goes but seems to be getting better. I have had several scopes to. I have read people say it can take a year or more to fully recover. As long as your ENT gives the green light you shoud be fine but by all means tell him any concerns you may have.

It can linger and for quite some time.

I was DX in March of 2012 with stage IV-a base of tongue cancer, treatment included induction chemo, concurrent chemo/radiation and then finally selective neck dissections.  (yes plural)

I had my first one 5 months after the end of of rads, nodes removed showed only weak and 'inactive disease'.  Follow up PET 5 months later showed the same spot but with a different view.  Long story short, the original surgeon only removed some of the nodes.  I was referred to a specialist in head and neck cancer for the potential of a modified radical.  Surgery exposed a nasty looking node which was sent to pathology while they prepared to do the deeper procedure, fortunately it came back negative, so no modified radical.

I'm now 6 years out from that surgery, I still have numbness in the area of my left ear lobe and the corner of the jaw, at times it feels like it is trying to wake up with an annoying itch that at times can be painful but not so much that I'd ever take something for it.

I was told that the surgery does impact that nerve, that the extensive dissection needed to expose the lymphatic arch does impact a number of small nerves and that this can be very common and likely permanent.

At times it fades into the background and at other times it is maddening but all in all, I'm now 7 years out from the end of rads, my annual check ups continue to be clear and my current head and neck DR says that the chances of a recurrence are in the single digits. 

Sorry to bear some negative news, but in the great scheme of things, I'll put up with the *#&@*)O* because

I AM ALIVE!

Peter

I too had a neck dissection whereby a cancerous node and 23 others were removed.  Stage IVA (old staging) tonsil cancer with spread into tongue and soft palate and nearby node.  Neck dissection and surgery to remove both tonsils and parts of tongue and soft palate was completed 4/20/2016.  33 rads and 7 Cisplatin treatments.  Still numb and sore on the neck dissection side after 3 years.  Have accepted this may be the case forever at this point.  As long as I remain NED, I can live with the numbness and other post treatment issues (thick saliva, etc.)

Hope you have many years of NED in your future.

Freddie