Cheryl, that's interesting about the not having surgery part of your hypothetical. I've read many instances here on the forum of people being treated only with chemo and rads for essentially the same kind of cancer as mine. But at the time of my diagnosis - exactly 5 years ago, maybe even this week (!) - there was never a question of them not operating.

Now of course I didn't know anything about OCF at the time and was as we all are more or less numbed by the news. Also didn't have anyone else to help me out, i.e. partner or knowledgeable friend. So I went with the docs' recommendations (RO, MO and ENT) and have always trusted them and have never second guessed them. At the time, and today, I consider myself fortunate to have been able to avoid chemo.

But I wonder if had I been better educated I might have tried to push for avoiding surgery. Or is it just that in the last 5 years the trend for HPV+ SCC has been moving away from the neck dissection. Interesting points, and of course for me now moot.