Hello again, and many thanks to everyone for all the answers provided. I apologize for only making the signature now, this has been a huge emotional roller coaster for me and I am still very much struggling with accepting everything that is happening.
I have managed to find a bunch of dentists and commenced the treatment on Friday with a root canal. I have an oral surgery scheduled for Thursday to extract three wisdom teeth,under general anesthesia, that I am quite scared of.
I have an important question regarding fluoride trays; I have been reading here on the forum how important they are. However, my (new and unfamiliar) dentist (who does not seem too familiar with RAD)claims that they are not necessary and he does not make them. He told me to use fluoride mouth wash such as ACT and said he would prescribe me a perscription-strength fluoride toothpaste and that should do the work. Is he correct or should I absolutely insist on fluoride trays and find someone else who will make them for me? I assume that RAD will start in 2-3 weeks.
Another question that I can not seem to shake of my mind since reading the post surgery biopsy report is about the only node that came back positive for cancer that is in level IV. Is there any logic about it being in level IV, far away from the tonsil as opposed to level II where I expected it to be? Does the tonsil maybe somehow drain that way? I am very worried about this indicating a spread further than originally thought, and the possibility of some cells are already in the lungs but not big enough to be detected on PET? I am only meeting the RO on Tuesday to learn details about the TX but it did not sound like they were planning to do chemo, RAD only.

Many thanks!


36, female, left tonsil HPV+ SCC, T2N1
8/28/13 SCC in left tonsil
9/12/13 surgery:TORS and selective neck dissection (levels II-IV), 23 nodes removed
9/18/13 post surgery biopsy: 2mm clear margins, a 7mm lymph node positive in level IV, no ECL
10/28/13 rad begins, 30 treatments, tomotherapy
12/09/13 radiation ends!
2/10/14 papillary thyroid cancer
2/26/14 PET shows clear neck other than thyroid cancer, but with high uptake in an ovarian cyst
2/27/14 thyroidectomy
3/5/14 pelvic ultrasound