Vocal cord tumor: Anyone else?

Hello cberry211 and welcome to the Head and Neck cancer group. There are others on this feed whom have gone through this as well. They will probably pop in shortly. This is the place for people who can’t get a cancer in an easy spot.
Are you going to have any surgery or just radiotherapy?

Thank you. I had suergury to remove the lump for biopsy and smooth out the edges. I will have, yet to be determined, radiotherapy to start. Hopefully that will suffice.

Take a look at @ntodd comments as this person has gone through your SCC just a couple years ago. I myself had Tonsil SSC so similar but not the same. Also I have a friend who had Larynx cancer but waited way to long for treatment so had issues and speaks with an aid device. That was fifteen years ago. He is however a happy person who's favorite line is " I have one nerve left and you are getting on it." He is actually the opposite of that.

I would love to hear about @ntodd my husband could be facing this surgery..he has a PET scan on Friday and a biopsy next Wednesday. He had throat and neck cancer 12 years ago and has been fine .started having swallowing issues in November to no avail until he had swallowing test done May 1st got a feeding tube on the 2nd..Now they are finding tumors on the other side of his neck.No more chemo or radiation..any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am sorry to hear that your husband seems to have developed further tumors. From your description the cancer is in his neck? Not in the throat?
I am having trouble with what you refer to as swallowing issues, this points to inflammation inside his throat. I realise only too well that getting to the start point of exactly where a cancer may be coming from and what area it is affecting and could affect later. The PET Scan should put most of this to rest and the biopsy should then be bale to tell you exactly what type of tumor it is. I had a further PET myself last week, it only showed what inflamation I had from Radiation now 3 full years ago.
Today I was supposed to attend a meeting where all the oncologists both Chemo and radiation, get together with the all the ENT specialists to discuss and go over all available information on just where I and a lot of others are at. My radiation oncologist, put a stop to my attendance and said it would be a waste of my time? What I have is a very bad Larynx and Vocal chord area, talk about swallowing issues, to me it is just how much I want to chock while eating or drinking. Sometimes I just give up both just to get a breath in. Surgery, well that should be a choice your and yourself need to look at closely. Just what are they hoping to achieve and what quality of life will your husband have afterwards. i don't know his age, this can be something you need to take into account. My ENT want to remove my Larynx they have done for the past 3 years told me it needs to come out and i can sort of make noises through the hole in my Throat. Well that is not for me, I am 75 years of age and I don't see any real outcome benefit. Lousy life one way or the other, one with or without a Larynx. Scariest thing for anyone is the cancer affecting the Lymph nodes, mine did but Radiation seems to have got that. You need to ask if his Lymph nodes are affected. If he can't have further radiation or Chemo what is his prognosis after surgery? So many questions, I hope I have at least pointed out some of the areas you need to look at, I don't know just how bad your husbands case is, what stage the cancer is 1-4. His general health and weight, all are so important.
My real hope is he is able to make a full recovery, so many do as those surgeons know exactly what they are doing and generally do it so well. Good luck, if you need further assistance, with anything there are so many on here with some great advice.

Hi @cberry211, how are you doing? Have you started radiation treatments?

Vocal Cord Cancer Treatment: Surgery or Radiation?
Greetings ~

I have just learned that I have HPV type 45 positive squamous cell carcinoma of the right true vocal cord. I have been presented with two options for treatment: surgery or radiation. I haven't spoken to either doctor yet but I'm hoping that those who have been through either or both treatments might be willing to share their pros/cons, side effects, success rates/recurrences of both treatments.

Thanks for any advice, information and suggestions!

Hi @kwyckoff, the diagnosis of vocal cord cancer must've come as a shock. And now you have to make a hard treatment choice.

I moved your question about surgery or radiation to this existing discussion:
- Vocal cord tumor: Anyone else? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/vocal-cord-tumor/

I did this so you can read the previous posts and connect easily with other members who are walking this path with you like @cberry211 @lizzie25 @ntodd @duckdogg1943 and @hrhwilliam.

I like the questions you're asking Kalele. I'm sure you're planning to also ask the surgeon and radiation oncologist those very same questions.