Jon,

First, it sounds like you do have nodal involvement but that still does not mean that you have to have surgery first. I am definitely not a medical expert but have seen others here on the board with T3-4 tumors with positive nodes be treated with chemo & radiation only and had success.

See my signature at the bottom?? That is how you find the history of each of us as we post..timelines..etc. You need to do the same by going to My Stuff and at the bottom fill out your current diagnosis and other pertinent info.

Back to the drugs...Bill was treated with weekly Cisplatin and Taxol and you will mostly see these drugs, especially Cis or a sister drug Carboplatin along with possibly Erbitux and some with 5Fu. Some receive the chemo weekly..some in three doses a couple of weeks apart...some before radiation begins(induction) as well as concurrently.

The reason the doctors did not suggest surgery at all at first for Bill was because the tumor was so involved that the surgery would have been radical and life altering. You need to check and see what type of radiation treatments are available...do they have the latest equipment that targets the tumor and somewhat shields healthy tissue. Look for the words IMRT..TOMO..anything that uses computers to target exacting places in your head and neck.

To be succinct...the chemo is simply a tool to make tumor cells more suceptable to radiation. Radiation is what will do the major part of the killing.

When you have better info from your biopsy and further tests...then you can make a decision. We here in the US can seek 2nd and 3rd opinions regarding a diagnosis and treatment plan. Not knowing what kind of facility you are using, I can't comment but I do know that this is your life we are talking about and you need to be aggressive about where and how you are treated. It will require stepping out of your comfort zone and being a strong advocate for yourself...not easy, believe me.

Keep us informed,

Deb