Thanks Don for replying. Yes, I agree, statistics are not significant as each of our journeys is different. I do, however, find reading about different scenarios helpful in not being totally surprised by the course this disease may take. I, like you describe in your signature, am extremely healthy, aside from cancer (That's pretty funny to write I haven't found any others on this forum whose cancer resembles mine (started as a small white dot on gum, followed by dentist for 9 years, finally became cancer and now has been difficult to stop). I never smoked and am negative for HPV, so as I said, I seem to be in a category all my own with the primary tumor in my gum, not linked to smoking. I am thankful that I have been able to bounce back from each surgery and treatment, traveling to Africa multiple times (we have a daughter who does research there). This latest development in the neck is my first metastases, so that is why I'm so curious about the progression this disease might take from here. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. We're all in this journey together and it's helpful having others like you share your experiences.