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What Do My Lab Test Reports Indicate?
Question: the copies of my biopsy and CAT SCAN tongue
Is it a must to do a horrible surgery removing it as 3 doctors in Montreal told me they want to remove half my tongue my teeth and mouth I rather die
do you suggest any other as solution I heard about tumour treated by PDT
Is it a must to do a horrible surgery removing it as 3 doctors in Montreal told me they want to remove half my tongue my teeth and mouth I rather die
do you suggest any other as solution I heard about tumour treated by PDT
Brief Answer:
need to consider options carefully
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
You have a local cancer in your tongue (carcinoma in situ). The CT scan shows no evidence of metastasis (spread) of the cancer but it does show some enlarged nodes. I agree with the radiologists suggestion that a PET scan would be helpful to determine if those nodes are a concern.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is only used in non-metastasized cancer so if it has spread to nodes it would not be an option. Also PDT is not widely used and is still being studied.It is only offered in some cancer centers.
Here is a site where you can read more about it.
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/photodynamic-therapy
Your best chance for total cure of this cancer is to do as your doctors suggest and have the cancer removed surgically. You could consider seeing a different group of oncologists and asking specifically if there is a less invasive or less extensive surgery that they could do. You could also talk to your current doctors about just removing the tongue lesion. They like to take out tissue surrounding the cancer to make sure they get rid of any micrometastasis.
Please consider your options carefully and use your primary care doctor to help you assess all the options presented to you by the surgeons and oncologists.
Regards
Dr. Robinson
need to consider options carefully
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
You have a local cancer in your tongue (carcinoma in situ). The CT scan shows no evidence of metastasis (spread) of the cancer but it does show some enlarged nodes. I agree with the radiologists suggestion that a PET scan would be helpful to determine if those nodes are a concern.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is only used in non-metastasized cancer so if it has spread to nodes it would not be an option. Also PDT is not widely used and is still being studied.It is only offered in some cancer centers.
Here is a site where you can read more about it.
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/photodynamic-therapy
Your best chance for total cure of this cancer is to do as your doctors suggest and have the cancer removed surgically. You could consider seeing a different group of oncologists and asking specifically if there is a less invasive or less extensive surgery that they could do. You could also talk to your current doctors about just removing the tongue lesion. They like to take out tissue surrounding the cancer to make sure they get rid of any micrometastasis.
Please consider your options carefully and use your primary care doctor to help you assess all the options presented to you by the surgeons and oncologists.
Regards
Dr. Robinson
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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