As most frequently used on the OCF message boards, the term CCC (comprehensive cancer center) means that the facility uses a team approach to dealing with an individual case, bringing the knowledge and experience from a variety of specialties to each treatment plan -- a "comprehensive" approach, as it were. (The abbreviations frequently used on these boards are explained here).

You may be urged to get your mom to an "NCI-designated" CCC. The National Cancer Institute, or NCI, is the primary funder of cancer research, and in this context, the term "comprehensive cancer center" has a slightly different meaning, based on a facility's research interests. Institutions choose to apply for NCI designation (the selection is done through a peer-review process), and the term "NCI-designated" primarily has to do with the facility's research programs --- not the quality or scope of patient care.

An "NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center" means that the institution is involved in research in three areas: laboratory, clinical and population-based. All NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers also treat patients. An "NCI-designated cancer center" concentrates research in one or two of those areas, and a few of these facilities -- like the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia or the Salk Institute in San Diego -- do research only. Further information about the cancer centers program is available here.

Given that your mom has been dealing with this for a couple of years, a second opinion from a facility where all they see is oral cancer is warranted. At the top of the list would be those you have already identified -- MD Anderson in Houston, Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Closer to home, there are three NCI-designated centers in North Carolina: at UNC Chapel Hill, at Duke and at Wake Forest. (Duke -- along with Anderson, Sloan and Hopkins -- is also part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, or NCCN, which OCF founder Brian Hill mentioned in his post.)

The "tumor boards" (where the various specialists get together to discuss each case and recommend a treatment plan) at these places may agree with the plan proposed by the doctor she has been seeing, or may have other ideas based on their experience. The NCCN treatment guidelines that Brian referred to can be found here. (The main part of the OCF site contains pages and pages of information, all vetted by OCF's Science Advisory Board.)

This was posted by SusanW in February, shortly after her husband was diagnosed with SCC by a general ENT in New York City. The replies to her first post encouraged her to get him to Sloan-Kettering, which she did:
[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]
I wish you and your mom all the best. She is lucky to have you in her corner.