Did you feel the tumor?

newbride
newbride Member Posts: 142
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
For those of you who had tumors in he nasal area - did you actually feel it like a blockage? The one my husband had been operated on he did feel it and actually if you looked up his nose you could see the fleshy matter. It was operated on and removed, but now he feels it coming back again....a quick biopsy confirmed the tissue he feels in his nose is the tumor coming back again.

Now my question for those who did have a tumor they were able to feel -- when you began chemo/radiation -- how soon after you started treatment did you feel the tumor "shrink" away???

Comments

  • SIRENAF42
    SIRENAF42 Member Posts: 202
    #2
    Sinus Tumor
    I had two sinus tumors, both removed endoscopically before radiation. I could not feel or see the first one, just had the blockage and nose bleeds. The second one....I could feel "something" was in there, I had headaches and the nose bleeds started again about 3 months after the first one was removed. My ENT thought I was nuts, but I just knew and felt like something was stuck deep in my nose. Surprise when he did the CAT scan and found it bigger than the first one, in almost the exact same area. Mine were removed and thats how I found out it was cancer. About two weeks into radiation, I did find my headaches were less frequent, they said it was shrinking the remaining cancer cells. Hopefully he will feel some relief as the start shrinking. Do they plan on removing it via surgery at some point?
  • newbride
    newbride Member Posts: 142
    #3
    SIRENAF42 said:

    Sinus Tumor
    I had two sinus tumors, both removed endoscopically before radiation. I could not feel or see the first one, just had the blockage and nose bleeds. The second one....I could feel "something" was in there, I had headaches and the nose bleeds started again about 3 months after the first one was removed. My ENT thought I was nuts, but I just knew and felt like something was stuck deep in my nose. Surprise when he did the CAT scan and found it bigger than the first one, in almost the exact same area. Mine were removed and thats how I found out it was cancer. About two weeks into radiation, I did find my headaches were less frequent, they said it was shrinking the remaining cancer cells. Hopefully he will feel some relief as the start shrinking. Do they plan on removing it via surgery at some point?

    Hi Sirenaf42
    I don't know what they are planning at this point. The first tumor he did not feel or have complications. Just felt stuffy all the time so I sent him to an ENT who thought it was a deviated septum - they did a CAT Scan so they would have the position for the surgery. Well they were in for a surprise when they got the films and saw a "mass" in the sinus cavity. Ok -- so referred to a surgeon - due to the location and size they removed the tumor through his upper palate in March (8 weeks before our wedding, not that that is significant to anyone but us). Ok...so he was recovering all went well - we went on a cruise for our honeymoon and day before we were to come home he gets this uncontrollable nosebleed and says he "feels something" in his nose. 2 days later his nose is double the size. Ok we go to the ER another CAT done - they tell us he has a blockage (no duh). Doctor schedules him for surgery thinking it's either a bad infection or grandulated tissue and plan to clean out his nose so he can breath. Ok - well the go in and tell us they couldn't remove it because as soon as they went in saw it was cancer and needed to know what they were dealing with. Next day pathology shows it's the same cancer and is very aggressive so along with the tumor they are removing his upper jaw. Second surgery scheduled and tumor was removed they told us they got the entire tumor and were very generous with the margins. Ok....so now they tell us they are starting radiation and chemo within 3 weeks -- they started on Monday. He is getting radiation twice a day and chemo everyday -- they have him admitted for 5 days of treatment, then he comes home for 9 but has to go in on Tuesdays of his "off week". Yesterday he tells me he is beginning to feel something in his nose again - similar to what he felt when he were on the cruise and the tumor came back -- this is on the 4th day of radiation.

    So.......now I'm scared.....what is going on with this thing and if it is growing is it growing faster than the radiation is trying to kill it?!?!?

    PS: Sounds like the the timing is similar to yours as well - he had his second surgery 3 months to the day of the first. Do you know what type of cancer your tumor was???
  • SIRENAF42
    SIRENAF42 Member Posts: 202
    #4
    newbride said:

    Hi Sirenaf42
    I don't know what they are planning at this point. The first tumor he did not feel or have complications. Just felt stuffy all the time so I sent him to an ENT who thought it was a deviated septum - they did a CAT Scan so they would have the position for the surgery. Well they were in for a surprise when they got the films and saw a "mass" in the sinus cavity. Ok -- so referred to a surgeon - due to the location and size they removed the tumor through his upper palate in March (8 weeks before our wedding, not that that is significant to anyone but us). Ok...so he was recovering all went well - we went on a cruise for our honeymoon and day before we were to come home he gets this uncontrollable nosebleed and says he "feels something" in his nose. 2 days later his nose is double the size. Ok we go to the ER another CAT done - they tell us he has a blockage (no duh). Doctor schedules him for surgery thinking it's either a bad infection or grandulated tissue and plan to clean out his nose so he can breath. Ok - well the go in and tell us they couldn't remove it because as soon as they went in saw it was cancer and needed to know what they were dealing with. Next day pathology shows it's the same cancer and is very aggressive so along with the tumor they are removing his upper jaw. Second surgery scheduled and tumor was removed they told us they got the entire tumor and were very generous with the margins. Ok....so now they tell us they are starting radiation and chemo within 3 weeks -- they started on Monday. He is getting radiation twice a day and chemo everyday -- they have him admitted for 5 days of treatment, then he comes home for 9 but has to go in on Tuesdays of his "off week". Yesterday he tells me he is beginning to feel something in his nose again - similar to what he felt when he were on the cruise and the tumor came back -- this is on the 4th day of radiation.

    So.......now I'm scared.....what is going on with this thing and if it is growing is it growing faster than the radiation is trying to kill it?!?!?

    PS: Sounds like the the timing is similar to yours as well - he had his second surgery 3 months to the day of the first. Do you know what type of cancer your tumor was???

    Type of Cancer
    I was diagnosed with Esthesionueroblastoma. I was early state 2, it had only invaded my Ethmoid sinus, parts of my sinus cavity and nasophaynx. I did not have to undergo chemo or have as evasive cancer as yours. Have they told you type of cancer? Is it Squamos Cell?? It sounds very aggressive!
  • newbride
    newbride Member Posts: 142
    #5
    SIRENAF42 said:

    Type of Cancer
    I was diagnosed with Esthesionueroblastoma. I was early state 2, it had only invaded my Ethmoid sinus, parts of my sinus cavity and nasophaynx. I did not have to undergo chemo or have as evasive cancer as yours. Have they told you type of cancer? Is it Squamos Cell?? It sounds very aggressive!

    Type
    My husband was diagnosed with myoepithelial carcinoma which is a salivary gland cancer - he is the 3rd reported case of this type of cancer appearing in the sinus/nasal area and so far the only one in which it is acting extremely aggressive. I just rec'd an email back from his radiation oncologist - they are concerned because all last week he had radiation twice a day along with chemo and it's still growing -- they may have him come in next week for a treatment each day
  • SIRENAF42
    SIRENAF42 Member Posts: 202
    #6
    newbride said:

    Type
    My husband was diagnosed with myoepithelial carcinoma which is a salivary gland cancer - he is the 3rd reported case of this type of cancer appearing in the sinus/nasal area and so far the only one in which it is acting extremely aggressive. I just rec'd an email back from his radiation oncologist - they are concerned because all last week he had radiation twice a day along with chemo and it's still growing -- they may have him come in next week for a treatment each day

    Type
    I will say a prayer for him and you. Keep us posted on how he and you are doing. God bless!!
  • SIRENAF42
    SIRENAF42 Member Posts: 202
    #7
    newbride said:

    Type
    My husband was diagnosed with myoepithelial carcinoma which is a salivary gland cancer - he is the 3rd reported case of this type of cancer appearing in the sinus/nasal area and so far the only one in which it is acting extremely aggressive. I just rec'd an email back from his radiation oncologist - they are concerned because all last week he had radiation twice a day along with chemo and it's still growing -- they may have him come in next week for a treatment each day

    Type
    I will say a prayer for him and you. Keep us posted on how he and you are doing. God bless!!
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #8
    Joke below
    Only when I picked my nose.
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #9
    SASH said:

    Joke below
    Only when I picked my nose.

    LOL
    Love your sense of humor Sash :-)
  • newbride
    newbride Member Posts: 142
    #10
    SASH said:

    Joke below
    Only when I picked my nose.

    Thanks Sash
    For making me smile :-)
  • newbride
    newbride Member Posts: 142
    #11
    SIRENAF42 said:

    Type
    I will say a prayer for him and you. Keep us posted on how he and you are doing. God bless!!

    Thanks
    Thank you -- I spoke with the radiation oncologist today. They are going to do one session of radiation each day this week for the rest of the week. They are also doing a CT scan tomorrow to check the margins to make sure they have not changed. Last week when I spoke with him he said he was "very confident" they would eradicate the cancer -- I asked him to be blunt with me today in light of the aggressiveness and this growing instead of shrinking if his confidence level is at the same point as last week or has it dropped at all or is he worried at all and he assured me he is still very confident they will eradicate it. I sure hope so!!!
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #12
    newbride said:

    Thanks Sash
    For making me smile :-)

    Smiling
    A good upbeat positive attitude really helps getting through the difficult times.

    Actually since my tumor was in my tongue I could easily feel it. Part of it even fell out part way through treatment. Now I actually have a "forked" tongue even though the gap is on the side.
  • SIRENAF42
    SIRENAF42 Member Posts: 202
    #13
    newbride said:

    Thanks
    Thank you -- I spoke with the radiation oncologist today. They are going to do one session of radiation each day this week for the rest of the week. They are also doing a CT scan tomorrow to check the margins to make sure they have not changed. Last week when I spoke with him he said he was "very confident" they would eradicate the cancer -- I asked him to be blunt with me today in light of the aggressiveness and this growing instead of shrinking if his confidence level is at the same point as last week or has it dropped at all or is he worried at all and he assured me he is still very confident they will eradicate it. I sure hope so!!!

    Gotta have Faith
    Just believe and think positively, smile and laugh often.
  • newbride
    newbride Member Posts: 142
    #14
    SASH said:

    Smiling
    A good upbeat positive attitude really helps getting through the difficult times.

    Actually since my tumor was in my tongue I could easily feel it. Part of it even fell out part way through treatment. Now I actually have a "forked" tongue even though the gap is on the side.

    Yeah I learned to smile
    Sense of humor is everything - when I spoke with the oncologist and asked about having the first or last appt of the day for this week's treatment so I can at least get 1/2 day of work in (thank goodness my boss has been wonderful). Anyway the oncologist asked if he can drive (hello he's getting chemo today as well and he had surgery on his leg to get bone to re-build his upper jaw that they removed) so I said "Well, he can drive except he is having trouble pressing on the brake so you might have to stay off the roads"

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