Hi ChristineB. Thank you for helping me to understand all of this.

The first doctor was local in Morehead City, NC.
I was diagnosed stage1 by the second doctor who is in Greenville across the street from Vidant. That's two hours away from my home.

From Wikipedia: “Vidant Medical Center (previously, Pitt County Memorial Hospital) is a hospital located in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the primary teaching hospital for East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine and is the flagship medical center for Vidant Health.”

From the Vidant website: “We offer a comprehensive team approach. When you become a Vidant Cancer Care patient, your case is thoroughly reviewed by providers with expertise in your specific condition – including oncologists, surgeons, nurses, therapists and more. They work together to understand every aspect of your case and develop the best treatment plan for you.” … “You can get a valuable second opinion. Many patients come to Vidant Health seeking a second opinion after receiving a cancer diagnosis from another provider. This can help them make a more informed decision about their treatment and care. At Vidant, we provide patients exploring second opinions with the same comprehensive evaluation process that we use for new cancer patients.”

The doctor's bio says “a board certified Otolaryngologist who has completed her surgical fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction”. She did mention the “tumor board”, explaining that other specialties will weigh in, and then are familiar with the case if they have a role in treatment later.

UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill has a CCC. From Wikipedia: “The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is a cancer research and treatment center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One of 45 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States,[1] its clinical base is the N.C. Cancer Hospital, part of the UNC Health Care system. UNC Lineberger is the only public comprehensive cancer center in the state of North Carolina.” I'm considering checking that out.

I am well familiar with both of these hospitals, as my husband had three surgeries at each following a fall in November 2012.

I don't anticipate looking to my friend for help during treatment, but more in regard to deciding whether to and how to get a second opinion; what questions should I be asking the doctors; how to evaluate my options.

I've intuitively begun certain preparations. Fortunately I have a dental appointment in a couple of weeks, so that will be out of the way. I've always been slim, even skinny, but my post menopausal body has crept up to over 140, and now I'm working hard to pack on a few more pounds. I've been trying to consume over 95 grams of protein daily for healing from the latest biopsy. Who knew that would be so hard! I'm not accustomed to eating so much! But it's helping. Between the protein and amino acid supplements, I'm healing from this third biopsy so much faster than the first and second! So I'm determined to keep it up post surgery.