Amy,
I was reacting to your own statement here in your earlier post: "I don't really know what to think. My parents have been very supportive - but they think my fears of recurrence are unjustified. My mom thinks that just b/c it was removed that I have no chance it will come back. She gets mad at me when I look things up on the internet and then get upset about it. My dad just takes the surgeons words as gold."

It sounds to me like you have great and loving parents and they (and us for that matter) want to share their optimism but the reality is that H&N cancer is a stealthy and deadly disease.

At a comprehensive cancer center you would have a team of doctors and probably a tumor board where they all convene and discuss the best protocol for your treatment. I am a little surprised that you didn't already have a consult and evaluation with a radiation oncologist and medical oncologist in your pre-treatment workup and planning.

We have a lot of great local hospitals around here too and if I got into an auto accident that's the first place I would go but as far as cancer goes - I wouldn't accept anything less than a comprehensive cancer center (CCC) or cancer center (CC). I traveled 60 miles a day for my rad treatments at a CCC. Many others have traveled even further. I attribute my very survival to going to a CCC.

By the way I had tonsil cancer, lost over 60 lbs and have made a full recovery with 3 years cancer free. 10 years ago they were practically in the dark ages in regards to treatment options. They didn't have advanced 3D conformal, IMRT, PBT, PET scans, anti-emetics (that work) or all of the chemo cocktails that they have today.

Please don't take any of this as a criticism. We take educating patients to be their own advocates very seriously. This is a lethal and unforgiving disease and mistakes in diagnosis or treatment can have very serious and/or deadly consequences.