Callie --

See this thread about Cancer Treatment Centers of America from three years ago. One thing I noticed in looking at the CTCA website this morning is that it has only one otolaryngology (ear-nose-throat, or ENT) specialist on staff in all of its hospitals. I'd consider that a red flag.

While UAB, where your husband has been treated, is very highly regarded (it's part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the alliance of 21 top cancer centers that devises the state-of-the-art treatment protocols published each year), I understand your desire for a second opinion -- just get it from somewhere equally as reputable, with a dedicated head and neck cancer clinic that see hundreds of cases or more each year. (Note that UAB CCC has five ENT specialists on staff.) The top institutions in the U.S., as others have mentioned, include M.D. Anderson in Houston, Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City (both of which are specialist cancer hospitals) and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Closer to home for you, a number of OCFers have been treated at Emory in Atlanta.

I wish you all the best.