Squamous Cell Carcinoma

So, it's officially cancer. Jennefer noticed her throat seemed dry and a little sore, at the end of last year. She attributed it to Denver's usual dry winter air, but it didn't get any better over time. She got in to see her primary care doctor, and they found a hard spot on the side of her neck. A visual exam didn't uncover anything, so they ran an ultrasound, but that didn't find anything either. Finally, a biopsy of the lymph node on that side found Squamous cells, which don't belong there. They didn't know where the cells came from, so they did a chest X-Ray, which showed her lungs clear. Then finally, a PET scan of her head and neck area found something in her throat near her voice-box. We just got back from the head and neck surgeon, and learned the likely treatment plan will skip surgery to save her voice-box, and concentrate on 35 radiation treatments, and 7 chemotherapy infusions, over 7 weeks, starting as soon as practical. They have to work with her insurance, to approve the treatments first.