Kimberly,

What I found to be important was the extent of hands-on experience of the doctors involved in dealing with head/neck cancer. I was initially told by an internist, a dentist, and an oral pathologist that the sore on my tongue was nothing serious, but it kept getting worse, month after month after month (and I never smoked).

An oral surgeon finally biopsied it and found that it was malignant, but he also concluded it was not appropriate for him to "go it alone". He immediately involved a team of head/neck oncologists from major Boston hospitals. While the test results indicated the cancer had not invaded lymph nodes, the tumor was poorly differentiated and the doctors were concerned about how aggressively it might be moving. They emphatically recommended both surgery (partial glossectomy and neck dissection) and 2 1/2 months of radiation treatments. I can't argue with the results -- 15 years free of cancer.

This is the long-winded way of saying: be sure the doctors know their compentencies but also know their limitations and when to consult with other specialists.

Good luck, and please stay in touch with us.

Cathy