I had a stage III 3cm x 5 cm tumor on the tonsil and my Head and Neck surgeon recommended against surgery also. I had 33, IMRT radiation treatments and 2 Cisplatin Chemo treatments. The tumor has completely melted, in a few weeks after beginning treatment actually, and so far my CT's and MRI's have been clear. The tumor was classified as a T3N0M0 with no signs of metastecis. So far, so good. The doctors told me the survival rate would actually be slightly better without surgery because of potential complications (from a 12 hr operation) and the fact that they would have to radiate everything anyway. It was an easy choice for me to make. I did a lot of homework first however. But everybody is different -you must be your own advocate and get the wisdom to make the choice that will give you the best possible outcome.