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Quick summary of my stage 4 head & neck cancer
Hello. I am Mike Milligan. I am a general dentist in Illinois. I am a founding member, past board member, and past president of the American Academy for Oral & Systemic Health – the #1 organization in the world for bringing together physicians, dentists, and allied healthcare professionals for the better overall health of their patients. I am founder and president of OralSystemicLink.net, “Saving Lives through Oral-Systemic Health.”
On 7/9/19, I had my first nosebleed ever, a bad nosebleed that it took 1 ½ hours in the hospital to stop. My ear/nose/throat (ENT) physician told me if it happens again to come back. Then nearly a year later in mid-April, 2020, I had a second nosebleed, and on June 3 and June 4, 2020, I had two more nosebleeds. We did a CAT scan of my nasopharynx on 6/5/20, then biopsy on Thursday 7/9/20, then on Sunday 7/12/20, at 1:41pm I looked at my phone and saw the call coming in was from my ENT, and I knew it was not good. He gave me the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. My ENT referred me to a local oncologist in our town, and after further testing I received a diagnosis of Stage 4a, T2, N3, M0, squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx (behind my nose), metastasized to several areas down both sides of my neck. I had my treatment at the University of Chicago Medical Center. They gave me a 50/50 chance of surviving.
“Stages” of cancer
- Stage 0: There is no cancer, only abnormal cells with the potential to become cancer. Also called “carcinoma in situ.”
- Stage I: The cancer is localized to a small area and hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or other tissues.
- Stage II: The cancer has grown larger, but it hasn’t spread.
- Stage III: The cancer has grown larger and has possibly spread to lymph nodes or other tissues.
- Stage IV (=4): The cancer has spread to other organs or areas of your body.
My treatment consisted of 9 weeks of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, with infusions every Friday. Then treatment continued with 6 ½ weeks of daily radiation (33 sessions), plus strong chemotherapy. I did not have surgery, as my cancer was behind my nose in a difficult place to do surgery. I am now 3 years cancer-free.
Read the full article at oralsystemiclink.net
Radiation and chemotherapy to the head and neck often leave lasting dry mouth. Read more about dry mouth and cancer treatment, and how Aquoral can help keep your mouth comfortable.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your health professional. Content adapted for Canada; pending review.