Hi Rahul, I hate to say this but the first surgery by a general surgeon complicated the case! Ideally, partial glossectomy + selective neck dissection followed by concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy for 4 weeks should have been a planned course of treatment.

As you have mentioned, visit Tata Memorial immediately. Your father certainly needs second opinion. Cancer is such a disease that nobody can guarantee you 100% cure. Doctors (in India) would not share too much of details so you would need to interrogate them and understand what is the course of treatment and the effectiveness.

If chemotherapy remains the immediate option, kindly discuss the possibility of induction chemotherapy (Docetaxel + Cisplatin + 5FU), which probably will give him better chance. There is a possibility that this is what oncologist in Pune would have planned.

You have not mentioned the size of tumor, so there is a possibility that if the tumor is large, the doctor is looking at shrinking it with chemo so that they can save more tongue and get sufficient margins as well though healing would be an issue.

Radiation may not be an option as your father would have already received 60 Gy during the initial treatment.

Not to scare you but it is going to be tough road ahead. May god be with you and your father. I have shared my number on PM, feel free to call should you need any guidance.