Hello everyone! I am new to this forum! My mom is 60 in Calif. and has Stage IV base of tongue cancer. She went to UCSF and her local cancer doctors in the Napa area. The 3 mos. of chemo/radiation never killed the cancer but it shrunk. She just had 8 weeks of Erbitux and feels like it is growing [neck stiff, feels larger]. Doc wants her to go on Carboplatin. She is not a clinical trial candidate due to secondary primary [lung cancer]. She's not interested in alternative medicine - wants to stick to standard care but it seems there's not much they can do for her but focus on palliation. Anyone else in this same boat? Mom said she is not ready to die! They say the cancer has invaded the muscle, is around the carotid, etc. but has not given her a timeline. This is aweful. Thanks everyone!