Daisy --

You are not being disloyal to your doctors if you seek a second opinion on diagnosis and treatment. MD Anderson is considered tops in the country for oncology and it would be well worth the effort it to go to Houston for a consult with them. Living in the east, we went to Memorial Sloan-Kettering for 2nd opinion (with blessing of Hopkins doctor) and were greatly encouraged by their input and the fact that the diagnosis (they re-read the path slides and MRI and CT scans, for example) and suggested course of treatment agreed. They also gave us some insight into an option which had not been discussed with original doctor, but which (when we brought them up later with our MO) was incorporated into Barry's treatment plan.

You might also want to ask about clinical trials of some of the new drugs (e.g. Erbitux, Tarceva) which are not yet approved but which are showing promise in trials for advanced SCC of the head and neck.

This will be a long road but there is hope, do not dispair -- many have come through this and (like Gary) have shown that doctors can certainly be wrong.

We are all pulling for you and your husband!

Gail