My step-father, Johnny Ray, has been diagnosed with an unknown primary tumor, possibly above the neck, resulting in metastatic squamous cancer cells in his lymph nodes.

It began about three weeks ago, when Johnny Ray went to his primary care doctor about a swollen lymph gland. His doctor referred him to an ear, nose and throat specialist who took a fluid sample from the gland and determined there were squamous cancer cells (not lymphoma) which based on his medical experience meant they originated from an organ above the neck.

They did a CT scan of his neck but did not get any information from the test. The doctor believed that the cancer tumor was most likely behind his tongue or tonsils. So they schedule a biopsy for those areas and took skin samples and his left tonsil. However, they found nothing in the biopsy, which was disappointing because the tonsillectomy was extremely painful for Johnny Ray.

He’s now been referred to an oncology radiologist and an oncologist at the Cancer Center in Houston. The doctors have said there are two paths of treatment:
1. Wait for the cancer source to show up and treat it.
2. Keep searching for it.

Obviously, we prefer the 2nd choice.

The onocology radiologist, Dr. Mark Bonnen, told my mother that one in 300,000 people have this kind of tumor, an unknown primary tumor. He feels that it is located above the neck and has schedule and PT scan for Friday, Feb. 27th and an MRI on Monday, March 2nd. Today, the insurance company denied Johnny Ray’s PT scan for 30 days. They want medical proof that it is necessary for the medical condition. It turns out that most insurance companies do this for this type procedure and Dr. Bonnen is writing a letter to help get it cleared. We are hoping it only pushes the PT scan back one week.

After the PT scan and the MRI, they will begin six weeks of daily radiation treatment on everything that is suspect above the neck, unless the find the source. We are praying that they find the source. The doctors have said he will feel the worst during last two weeks of treatment and three weeks after. Johnny Ray’s spirits are high though he is still suffering quite a bit from the tonsil removal.

I am asking everyone I know and everyone who is reading this to please send prayers, healing thoughts and strength to my family as we face this challenge head on. Johnny Ray is more than a step-father to me, his is one of my favorite people and I know he is stubborn and strong enough to over come this.