Hi, Tracey --

Given that the cancer has returned quickly, and in a difficult place, she will have the best chance at beating this if she is seen at a comprehensive cancer center, or CCC. Probably the one closest to you is the head and neck clinic at Dana Farber in Boston, and several people who post here have been treated there.

If you type Dana Farber in the search box in the upper right corner of each forum page, any post with that term will show up -- then you can contact the poster for additional information (click on the poster's name to view his/her profile, which will give you e-mail or private message information).

The quote below was posted by a relatively new OCFer after her husband was diagnosed with OC by an ENT. Since she lives in New York City, several people here encouraged her to get a second opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the top cancer centers in the country. She posted this in mid-February after making an appointment there:

[quote=SusanW]The ENT guy said his practice (three guys) sees about one case of oral cancer a year. Sloan sees 3500. A bit of a difference. The strong message you guys sent me about where people should go is so important. I hope the word is out there.[/quote]
You say you believe that your sister-in-law's doctors are at a loss as to how to proceed. The staff at Dana Farber (or Sloan Kettering or Johns Hopkins, to name two other leading cancer centers on the East Coast) have seen thousands of cases of oral cancer and should have a much better idea what the next steps should be. I hope that you can, at the least, persuade your sister-in-law to get a second opinion about her treatment from one of these centers. She is not being "disloyal" to her current doctors by seeking another opinion; in fact, they should welcome the input from experts who see this every day.

I wish your sister-in-law -- and all of you -- all the best. You've come to the best spot around for information and support.