Jill,

Sory to hear about your dad. As any of the doctors indicated what the staging is for this recurrence in terms of the TNM rating. The T is for the size of the tumor, N is for the number of nodes involved and the M is for the number of other vital organs to which cancer cells have spread to.

A CT scan or a combines CT/PET of the neck and abdomen area should show if there is spread outside the primary site.
However, because your dad had radiation just before Xmas 2005 the PET/CT scan may give false positives of the neck area.

Both our ENT and Radiation Oncologist are not too keen on CT scans of the head/neck just after radiation treatment.

CG to wife;
Jan 2005 DX SCC Tongue T2N1MO; RND surgery Mar 2005; 35 XRT and 4 cisplatin completed Jul 2005.
Dec 2006 tongue surgery, Scar tissue no cancer.
Feb 2010 neck node FNA - negative.
2010 ORN right jaw plus fracture
2015 ORN left jaw plus fracture
Feb 2016 Lower jaw reconstruction by Fibula free flap+titanium plate - Permanent G-tube
June 2016 Difficulty breathing - Permanent Trachea tube
Dec 2019 DX Cervical cancer - Stage 1 - Surgery Jan 16 2020.
15-20 esophagus/larynx dilations