When I had my initial radiation treatment last year (IMRT x 35) I asked the doc if he would radiate me again if the cancer came back. He said no.

It was my understanding that this was becuase the IMRT would do too much damage to the tissues. However, my wife understood it differently - that the reason they don't is because it would subject you to too much radiation.

So now, I'm facing the possibility of mets to a lower jugular lymph node at the base of my neck. I see some discussion on the boards that seems to indicate that under some circumstances people do get radiated again? Is this only in a case of 'distant' mets? And what is considered distant - would my lymph node 6" away from the original treatment area be considered distant?

Also, I should have a chance to ask the doc this next week, but I'm hoping to understand in the mean time: I had SCC of the tongue (with no mets), and the primary tumor is now gone, one year post-treatment. But now it looks like I have what they're calling mets to a neck lymph node. So in my case would it still be considered SCC? Or is it considered a different type of cancer or go by a different name when it moves down into a lymph node somewhere?

Sorry, so many questions....
thanks
Steve