Hi Zarker

I had severe displacia of the vocal chords around 5 years ago and was told that I needed laser treatment immediately as it "was very close to cancer". I had laser treatment a few times and had to have biopsies done around every 2 - 3 months but in my case it had gone too deep so they could only laser the surface and it kept coming back. If you are a smoker you should give it up immediately as my consultant told me to avoid smoke at all costs.

I went on to have larygneal cancer but I was stage T2-3 when I was eventually diagnosed. I was successfully treated with radiotherapy 28 months ago and touch wood everything is fine and my voice is better than it's been for years.

On a positive note they are closely monitoring you and as you are at a very early stage hopefully they will be able to get rid of it with laser treatment alone.

I wish you well and hope that the next laser treatment will be the end of it.

Marion x

Hi Marion ,

Thanks very much for your reply it was most helpful. I hope you don't mind me asking but how long was it from when they found displacia to you being diagnosed with laryngeal cancer? As this is what I think may be happening to me. They said inicially It could be treated with laser alone and after my last laser treatment yesterday that the return was on the surface only and did not warrant rdiotherapy at the moment and he had done deeper biopsys which he says hes sure arn't cancerous. This has as you know been a very difficult time for me as i'm so scared of loosing my voice or having to have a laryngectomy which I've been told is unlikely. i'm reassured to know that after your treatment your voice is now good. Thank you again and I hope you continue to do well. Andy

p,s gave up smoking 5 years ago and after this will never go back to it!

Thanks Marion, will let you know how I get on.

Andy

Hi Marion

will keep you informed he is going for laser and biopsy on 10 november.

I hope you had a good trip.

i am a realist, but also my glass is always half full, so i live in hope i needed to know the good the bad and the ugly and i am gratefull you all told me honestly without even knowing it. i started reading the first day we were told it was the dreaded C word. i am sure so many more people read and do not post it feels like stepping on a private conversation but i needed you to know how helpfull you all were.

Thank you

Lucky us

Hi Andy

Thank you for your kind reply, i have gone on this site every day since we found out. in perticular this post ( as it was so relevant) i am a get the knowledge person and my husband puts his head in the sand ony asking me the odd question.

Although he is at the very early stage and i am so gratefull it was diagnosed early i do realise we are on a long long road for a few years now. and through reading this post i have gained so much knowledge about the treatments.

Thanks again

Lucky us

Really glad to hear we have been of some help. The last few days have been difficult and your posts have cheered me up, just knowing that someone else has benefitted from what we write here, its good to see something positive has come from it. Please feel free to read the posts and comment and keep us up to date on your husbands progress.

All the best

Andy

Hi Luckyus

It's great that you are a realist, I am the other way round with the glass half empty! Your husband is very fortunate to have you there for him to face the facts but at the same time being positive. I am sure he will be fine as I was a T3 when I started my treatment and I am 3 years post -treatment, disease free (touch wood!) and my voice back to normal.

I'm so glad you have been reading our posts and that it has helped you have a better understanding of laryngeal cancer. My daughter's friend aged just 30 has just been diagnosed with the same and is waiting to start her treatment next month. I am going to meet her next week as she wants to ask lots of questions and I hope that I will be able to reassure her.

Please let us know how your husband gets on after 10 November and remember we are here for you.

Take care

Marion x

Hi Andy

I'm thinking of you. Let me know how you got on today when you get a chance!

Love Marion x

Thanks Marion that means a lot, i'm absolutely dreading it, as i fear its bad news, but guess i just have to take what comes and make the best of it, feels like i'm walking to the scaffold! keeping fingers and toes crossed

Andy x

HI Andy

I'll be thinking of you and keeping everything crossed making typing very difficult!

I'll check later to see how you are. I have to log off now as I'm at work and my lunch break is over.

Try not to worry

Marion x

Th Marion my appt is at 3pm will let you know later. x

Hi Zacker.

Hope you get the best results that you want. I being at the end of all this treatment had numerous operations and are free of throat cancer for 2 years, I went through all the same things that you and all people like us are feeling, treatment is a lot better than it used to be, I read the post from luckyus but dont know what problem her husband has.

As you know my cancer was T4 but I had a good surgeon as it is he has just retired, I must have been to much for him (joke).

I will be thinking about you and all the people that come on here. let me know what they say.

Regards

Joeninty.

Hi Zacker.

Hope you get the best results that you want. I being at the end of all this treatment had numerous operations and are free of throat cancer for 2 years, I went through all the same things that you and all people like us are feeling, treatment is a lot better than it used to be, I read the post from luckyus but dont know what problem her husband has.

As you know my cancer was T4 but I had a good surgeon as it is he has just retired, I must have been to much for him (joke).

I will be thinking about you and all the people that come on here. let me know what they say.

Regards

Joeninty.

Hi Joeninty

My husband has T1 of the left vocal cord we found out early this month he is going in for laser treatment. soon.we are still in the shock stage at the moment. again thank you for all you have wrote. i hope we dont walk down the full road that you have been down but i realise we are on the same path with our fingers crossed. not sure there is anything else to say yet thanks

Lucky Us (yer Right)

Hi Luckyus.

You dont say how old your husband is, I am 66 now I started when I was 64 with a sore throat, mine started on the left then I was unlucky it started on the right. I had radio for 6 weeks but it didnt seem to help, I wont go into anymore. I have met a few people in the hospital that have had different stages of this type of cancer and have had treatment and everything has turned out allright. have you talked about this with your husband, or is he the type like me that wouldnt talk about it.

There is a lot of people on this site that will help with blogs on here and offer support for you both if need be. the laser is not that bad I had it, nothing to worry about . if you want to let me know if you would like anymore info I will look out for your reply.

Dont worry to much it will get better.

Michael.

HI Joeninty thanks for your message. Hope all is good with you.

Hi Joeninty

My Husband is 55 years old i had a friend a few years ago that went through vocal cord cancer and had a full larnxoscopy (which i belive you have had done). so we are in this with our eyes open!! it is only with the knowledge of our friend that my husband went to the doctors so early (thank goodness). My husband will ask me the odd question as he knows i have read a lot of info (like you do) but he won't say a lot ( i still think he is in total shock), i think this is why i found all the post so helpfull it makes you realise there different people in all the different stages, willing to talk (well type but you know what i mean).

Best wishes Luckyus

Hi Michael (Joeninty)

Nice to see that you are still reading our posts - I haven't forgotten you!

I have just replied to Andy so there's probably not a lot to add but hope you are doing well.

Keep posting!

Love Marion x

Hi Luckus.

Thanks for replying, I know what he must be thinking, when I was told what the outcome of my biopsy/radio and 3 trips down to theatre for checkups, the specialist gave me the news that I didnt want, I came out of his office and a specialist nurse came running after me and said did I understand what he had just told me, I had took it all in, the next thing I knew I had a date for my op.

The operation I had is called a total laryngectomy, I wont tell you anymore, it is the wrong end of my type of cancer, I am great now do most of the things I did before.

I did a abseil for a childs charity in april only 65 yards down it was great no nerves. tell your husband to talk about it with you, the more you know what he is thinking the more you can help to find out things on his behalf hope to hear from you again

joeninty Michael.

Hi Marion.

What stage was your cancer mine was T4 I had surgery in the end, not what I wanted but it has gone now. how are you keeping now, have you got on with your life like me now.

There seems to be more people on here lately with neck cancers, the first thing my specialist asked was how long I had been smoking, I dont smoke and never had, it must have been the wild life I had in the 60s in pubs watching all the groups.

Nice to hear from you all the best.

Michael.

Hi Michael

I was staged at T3 N1 but I don't smoke either, although the doctors jump to conclusion that it's smoking that causes it. Who knows if passive smoking is a contributor though - I've been to lots of smoky pubs in the past. Thank God for the smoking ban! I still think that my inhalers for asthma could be the cause as I have to take 2 inhalers twice a day every day. My consultant has blamed it on my genes!

You're right, there seems to be an increase in neck cancers, you may have seen from an earlier post that my daughter's friend has laryngeal cancer and she's only 30! I'm going to see her next week to answer any questions she has about the treatment. She starts in 3 weeks time.

Great that you are doing OK - keep up the good work!

Love Marion x

Hi Marion.

Iam sorry to hear about your friend got the same as me, did you say that you have just got back fron new york. I want to go abroad but I worried that the plane air and the traveling might affect my stoma I have been to america twice once to texas on a buddy holly trip and tice to florida. I would like to go again but can't take the risk.

Glad to hear that you are ok. and it sounds like zacker is going through a bit of a time, I also go on cancer chat site and I am helping a lady who's mam is going for the same op as me and she is worried.

Best of health to you Marion.

Love Michael.

Hi Michael

A very close freind of mine had a total laryngeoctomy about 10 years ago at the age of 62. she went back to full time work after and started biking all round town ( only on good days) and helped on the ward for patients going through this horrible time. She passed away 7 years later ( the cancer never returned) how i wish i could talk to her now i was just so lucky that we talked so much while she was here and why we were so quick to get my husband checked out.

he was in yesterday for another biopsy and to have his vocal cord lasered so a bit of TLC today thanks for letting me jump into your long standing post but it has been such a great help.

Hugs to all

Luckyus