I'm on my cruise and enjoying myself; figure I will have a lot to deal with in the next few weeks, at a minimum!

On the way to the airport, my friend called a friend who has oral cancer and he told me about his treatment. He went to UCLA and recommended a surgeon there. I wasn't able to get in with the same Dr., but have an appointment there the day I fly back in to LA! My friends are wonderful- they suggested that I try to get the appointment that day and they would just wait for me for the 4 hour drive home!

In reading your posts, I notice that a lot of you recommend cancer centers. I am assuming that a large university hospital like UCLA will also use a team approach, or is there even more consensus that an actual cancer center is the way to go?

I haven't cancelled anything with the local ENT yet, but think I'd like to have the most experienced ENT surgeon possible to do my surgery, and that someone at a major university teaching hospital should be more experienced than an ENT in our smaller area.

Thanks again for all the info - I'm trying to gather as much info as I can and make the best possible choice.

'Til later,
Rhonda