Hey there, my name's Fran, I'm 32 and I'm from Italy. Last July, after suffering for six months because - I thought - of some dental surgery (my dentist was shown the scar on my tongue and said "it was nothing to worry about") I have unfortunately been diagnosed a stage 2 small tongue cancer. Being a young patient, the surgery was quite aggressive, part of my tongue has been reconstructed (they wanted to leave 2 cms wide margins) ad all lymph nodes in the area removed (and luckily negative). Everything went well, I've been told the hospital I went to is the best in Italy for these matters, and I am quickly recovering. Now, the docs sent me to some radiotherapists to evaluate the possibility of some supportive radiotherapy, considering my young age and the type of cancer. I have seen a couple of them, so far, and both said radiotherapy is not a reasonable option in my case, as there are a lot of contraindications (teeth, saliva etc...) comparing to the uncertain benefits I could gain (having had the whole cancer removed). Still, the guys who had my surgery done insist on radiotherapy as a praxis. I feel very confused. When everything started the doctors said the quality of my life would not substantially change, now it seems that, if I choose radiotherapy, I will have to face a very difficult change in my life. I feel betrayed. I think I'll hear just one more doctor and then decide, or else I'll get mad. It's already very hard for a weak person like me to face this, and I think I've been brave and rational so far... but I'm sure that if I stopped getting better, and eating, and if I lost ny teeth at the age of 30, well, depression would come as fast as hell. All I want from the doctors is to be very honest, to tell me the pros and cons so that I can make my mind up in full cognition.
Thanks.