Don,

I was offered, and accepted the same aggressive and structure sparing treatment you are getting, but in 2009, in lieu of major surgery, which was 3 cycles of TPF Induction Chemo, followed by 7 weeks chemoradiation, which was probably when one of the clinical trials was being done or soon after for Oropharyngeal cancer. There is more research being done now with recurrences even in spite of the best care, which may be that certain cells are programmed to metastasize regionally, and some distant, in some patients, and theory about H&N cancer stem cells, or cancer like stem cells that are resistant to CRT, plus others. I hope they come up with something or the right combination soon, but will mostly likely take time.