Had my initial consult with radiation oncologist today. He showed up with a file 2" thick on me. He had already read surgery and pathology reports and viewed my neck CT. He also drew some different conclusions from what I'd read and thought I'd been told by surgeon and ENT docs.

First off, they did a tonsilectomy, but they didn't go all the way to clear margins. That would have been an 11 hour surgery (I was under an hour at most). so they didn't get all the cancer.

He also found one lymph node (same side as SCC tonsil) that was enlarged to 1cm+ in smallest axis. So he restaged me as T2N1.

And finally, he said that the mouth dryness (ie loss of salivary function) from radiation would in all likelihood be permanent despite the fact that they do use the IMRT approach.

I'm pretty sure I was told a whole different set of things by surgeon and ENT staff (ie we feel we got all the cancer in surgery, no lymph node involvement). Part of me asks was I misled, or did I mis-understand what was said.

Regardless, radiation treatment is still in my future, 33 treatments (not 30 as originally said). My simulation occurs this morning where I'll get my mask built.

For you experienced cancer fighters, I'm interested in your take on all this.

Tony