Mr. Taufik Sarmin was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer in 2019. The biopsy results showed it was adenoid cystic carcinoma. The tumor mass was quite large, almost covering the entire right side of the tongue and extending across the midline to the left. Medically, he was advised to undergo surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. However, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t recur or spread, especially in the final stage. He chose not to undergo surgery and instead used ECCT. The pain from tongue cancer is excruciating, as is the treatment process, including ECCT. Mr. Sarmin successfully underwent this challenging process and survived for 5 years, with his cancer considered to be clear without surgery.
Image: Right: MRI results of Mr. Sarmin’s head and neck in November 2019 showing a dense mass on the front right side of the tongue; Center: MRI results of Mr. Sarmin’s head and neck in 2023 after using ECCT, showing a significant reduction in mass density, possibly due to scar tissue left from the cancer; Left: Photo of Mr. Sarmin after 5 years as a cancer survivor. (en translation)
Tongue cancer is a type of cancer that is difficult to treat, and the pain experienced by the patient is also extremely severe. The survival rate is also very low; for stage 4, the 4-year survival rate is only 12%.
Medically, the necessary actions are surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. However, this does not guarantee that the cancer will not recur or spread. For a large tumor mass, most or all of the tongue needs to be removed, and combined with radiation and chemotherapy, it could result in a lifetime of loss of sensation in the tongue.
Even with ECCT, this type of cancer is not an easy choice. The process of cancer cells breaking down due to exposure to electric fields can cause extreme pain.
Mr. Sarmin chose to use ECCT instead of surgery. The most intense pain was felt during the first 3-4 months. The pain gradually decreased as the cancer mass broke down into thick mucus mixed with saliva. For years, he struggled with the pain and released the thick saliva coming from the disintegrating cancer tissue.
As the cancer tissue broke down into mucus, the density of the tissue, as seen on MRI scans, gradually decreased. With ECCT, the tumor mass does not shrink like with chemotherapy, which reduces swelling and volume; instead, the cancer cells undergo lysis (breakdown), turning into a liquid like mucus that flows into surrounding tissues. Therefore, in the first 6 months of treatment, MRI images show the tumor mass spreading, but with a decreasing density. This is what happened in the progression of Mr. Sarmin’s treatment, according to MRI results from 2 and 4 years of using ECCT.
After 5 years, thank God, Mr. Sarmin’s condition is good, healthy, and active. His cancer is relatively clear, except for possible scar tissue that still makes his tongue feel obstructed. Over the 5 years, there has been no spread to the lymph nodes or other organs. His lungs and other organs remain normal.
His tongue is still intact without surgery, except for some biopsy marks and scar tissue from the cancer. His sense of taste is relatively unaffected.
May Mr. Sarmin continue to stay healthy.
