My name is Shelley and I'm a new member. Someone wrote, welcome to the club that no one wants to belong to...I found this site while my husband was finishing 7 weeks of radiation on his throat. It was a very tough time for both of us, I'm so relieved to find other people who have "been there, done that" and will be able to give me some guidance and support. And hopefully I will be able to give help to others too. That's what life's all about right? Fortunately for my husband, he caught the cancer at an early stage, so he didn't have to undergo any radical surgery. But little did we realize how nasty and brutal radiation would be. He has his first appointment with the doctor's on 12/20/04. I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I am assuming the cancer cells are now gone (I don't see how they could withstand the radiation). Are these checkups to see if the cancer comes back, or is there a chance the cancer cells could still be there? I know I'm a rookie where all of this is concerned, so be patient with me OK!