Mary,

If you've been reading this site for any length of time then you'll see a trend that tongue cancer is usually aggressive and usually has several occurrances. I didn't have tongue cancer so I'm by no means an expert but I've been a part of these forums long enough to see trends.

2nd opinions = prudence, it's just a good idea to get the BEST medical advice available to you and then get a second set of eyes on it just to be safe. DON'T make decisions based on half truths and only partial information...yes radiation has side effects, but it's also the big gun that can help knock an aggressive cancer out and keep your sister alive. Get all of the information before making a decision.

Best of luck,

Eric