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Surgery to remove a tumor
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Surgery to remove a tumor

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Surgery to remove a tumor

  • Post
    • February 21, 2019 at 3:07 am
    Jenine
    Participant

      Hello friends,

      I hope this post finds everybody happy and healthy for the moment. Every day is certainly a gift!  

      My husband recently finished up a two-year clinical trail.   It seems as if he had a positive response to the treatment and he did not developed any additional tumors and the two tumors he have stabilized and/or slightly shrunk. I believe the term his doctor uses is necrotic. I understand this to mean the tumors are not alive but still there. This being said our surgeon has suggested to remove the tumor in my husband neck.   Has one in his sternum but it’s nearly impossible to remediate.

      Would you suggest removing the tumor from his neck? His doctor thinks it would be a good idea as he said if the immunotherapy wears off the tumor could then become active again.  My poor husband is like a pincushion.  He is finally feeling better and recovering from all of the side effects from the two-year clinical trial. Can anybody off or suggestions or questions for me to ask the doctors at Hillman?  

      Peace and Love,

      Jenine

       

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    • Replies
        • February 21, 2019 at 3:18 pm
        swalters1038
        Participant

          I had surgery to remove a 5.5 cm tumor (lymphnode) from my parotid gland and a modified radical neck dissectino to go with with it.  The surgery albeit long was not bad and I was back to work in a week.  The location of my surgery lended itself to disturbing and irritating many nerves, so there was almost no pain.  I was completely healed from teh surgery before my nerve function returned.  So where exactly in the neck is your husbands tumor?

          Cheers

          Steven (3c May 2018) 

            • February 21, 2019 at 11:21 pm
            Jenine
            Participant

              Hello Steven.  

              I’m glad your surgery was a success and relatively painless. Cheers to you!!  

              My husbands tumor is on right on the side of his neck.  It the size of a golf ball or small egg.   Original primary site is also on the right side of his body on the top of his shoulder.  

              He had surgery originally when he was diagnosed and they thought they got it all about five years ago. Unfortunately about a year and a half after his surgery to remove lymph nodes and the original site the naughty tumors popped up on his neck and sternum.  Fast forward to just a few months post the end of  a grueling clinical trial here we are.  

              Any help you can offer would be appreciated! 

              Take good care of yourself!!

              Jenine

              • February 22, 2019 at 2:23 pm
              swalters1038
              Participant

                I'm guessing your husbands surgery would also have nerve involvement, but definately questions to ask as the main nerve(s) that serve the face come up through that area of the neck.  The neck head area is difficult to get margins of any type due to all the "critical infrastructure".  If the tumor is not active, I would sure heavily consider getting it removed.  I'd find a good ENT surgeon to discuss the pro's and con's with, surgery details etc.  I'm 35 and have been fairly agressive with my treatment, radiation 2 weeks after surgery, follwed by BRAF drugs two weeks later.

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