Hi Greg,

I'm so so sorry you and your mom have to deal with this horrible disease. It is very unkind, and unfair.

In some ways, my feeling would be to avoid the surgery if it is going to cause pain and suffering. Although, what you mentioned does not sound nearly as invasive as what most other oral cancer patients have to endure. On the other hand, having experienced my own mother having a growth in her mouth and how scarily and quickly it grew, having it removed might be the best thing for her as there would be no chance of it invading her airway or bleeding. My mother's tumor doubled in size within a matter of 3 weeks, thankfully not invading her airway but far enough that it hit her gag reflex and bled often, which was very scary for her.

Have the doctors talked about a visiting hospice rather than moving her to a new facility?

If palliative care rather than curative is their goal, then I think whatever is going to keep her the most comfortable should be the course of action. I can't tell you what decision to make unfortunately, but hopefully after you have gathered as much information as you can both from her doctors and from many of us here, you will be able to make the right decision for you and your mom.

Best of luck and keep us informed!