mcgee,

I'm sorry to hear how long your mother has been dealing with this. Is her ENT tied into a comprehensive cancer center? Given her history, I would recommend that she get the full input of a team of head and neck specialists that represent all the relevant disciplines: surgery, chemo and radiation. In the "Other Resources" section of this website, there is a list by state of the major cancer centers.

There are many of us here who never smoked and still ended up with this disease. Radiation can be difficult, but if it turns out your mother needs this as part of her treatment, she can find plenty of support and helpful advice here. Do you (or other family members) live close to her in case she needs a support system for the next round of treatment?

Please keep us posted on what you find out.

Cathy