I am a single mom with an 11 year old who needs me! And I just got news that I need to basically get my affairs in order. I had a sub-total glossectomy and neck dissection in November, 2015. Pathology came back with clear margins and no lymph nodes involved so I thought I was clear. I had gone through chemo-radiation prior to surgery (I know this isn't ideal but my surgeon tried and then cancelled a surgery before the chemo-radiation and said due to location of tumor, we needed to shrink it first).

Yesterday I had a CT and discovered that the cancer has returned in area above larynx and voice box (near carotid artery). I have both PET scan and fine needle biopsy scheduled for this coming week but surgeon said there is really no doubt that it is cancer. Surgeon seemed to think it may be inoperable due to location and of course, I've already had chemo (cisplatin), radiation and surgery so that complicates things further. I do plan to get a second opinion from Johns Hopkins (I went there for a second opinion last time and they did the last surgery). The local surgeon I spoke to ended up discussing palliative care as the path that he thought we would go down, although he was trying to make sure we knew options. He said the speed that this cancer has returned shows how aggressive it is (it is 12 weeks since surgery). I have heard about immunotherapy and clinical trials--anyone have experience with recurrence of this type?