Removal of polymorphous cancer in saliva gland: What is recovery like?

Hi Jadwyer,
I have not had that surgery, but wanted to reach out and give you support. Everyone needs support and this group is great for help. Make sure you get a second opinion. Are they recommending radiation as well?

@jadwyer I had a partial Parotid salivary gland removal due to SCC tumor that started in my ear canal and spread into my temporal bone in the skull. The temporal bone resection was by far the worst part of my surgery. The surgeon who did my neck dissection and Parotid removal also had to remove a section of Facial nerve that was involved, but was able to reattach ends. I woke with total facial paralysis on that side and needed radiation/targeted therapy due to surgical margins still containing tumor. That was in 2012. I do battle dry mouth but that is likely due to radiation more than partial parotid resection.
As for recuperation, that is hard to say for me since the total surgery was very much more than just gland removal. Make sure you ask your surgeon about possible complications and long term future issues. How soon is your surgery scheduled?

I am hopeful I don’t have to have a neck dissection and they can go down my throat. The tumor is large but wasn’t wrapped around my bones. It is slow growing but since diagnosed in March, my husband has developed dementia so I have had to basically deal with his illness instead of mine. I have the surgical opturator fitting and am now ready for surgery. But husband had to go to memory care and that involved a lot. It is a mess. What kind of cancer did you have? Thanks for messaging me!’

@jadwyer I have metastatic squamous cell carcinoma that began in my ear canal by the ear drum. This disease is not curable but my last metastasis was in 2020 and after immunotherapy I have remained no evidence of disease.
A spouse with dementia is a heavy burden when you have your own health issues. I hope you can develop a good support system to help you through this.

Yes, this is a lot. I live 100 miles away from the cancer center that will be performing the surgery. I also need to get back to work asap to support all of this mess. Thanks for listening and I am glad you have recovered.

Thanks so much for your response. I am thankful yours hasn’t returned. I am
in an u usual situation. Prayers for all of you.

@sepdvm
What were your initial symptoms of your carcinoma when it began in the ear canal by the eardrum?

@gangcarotid1 In retrospect I realized that the chronic itch in that ear was likely early SCC growth. What brought me to seek diagnostics was a very sharp pain that began intermittently but progressed to continuous over 8-10 weeks. This was the beginning of the tumor invasion into the mastoid bone causing pain. The unrelenting pain keeping me up at night was not diagnosed by three ENTs because nothing was visible in the ear canal or on initial scans. Finally an ulceration appeared on the skin surface which encouraged referral ENT to use his videoscope and biopsy the area. Right before surgery I also had a few symptoms of facial nerve deficits and a metallic taste in my mouth.
This search for answers continued for 5 months via various doctors until I requested a referral to the University of Michigan ENT where they diagnosed it. Then delay in scheduling my surgery led me to pursue treatment at Mayo Clinic Roschester, where the amazing team has prolonged my life, so far so good.

@sepdvm
Thank you so much for your outage to share this with others. I fell like I am always looking for the next pin to drop...not knowing what to look for. So thank you for sharing.