Gloveman,
My husband had BOT cancer also. He was T1N2bM0 and considered Stage 4. The tumor was small that is why it was T1 but because of lymph node involvement N2b it was a Stage 4. I think his was well differentiated. His ENT at the Cleveland Clinic (who is now at Duke) would also not do surgery on the base of tongue. Treatment was radiation 7 weeks with two types of chemo 96 hours the first and fourth week, followed by a neck dissection two months after treatment ended. The tumor on the BOT was gone but they did find mircoscopic cancer cells in the perionodal tissue in his neck, removed it along with a number of lymph nodes. The ENT had left the decision of a neck dissection up to him but strongly recommended it. It was a good decision. He's 17 months from the start of treatment and everything looks okay. He was misdiagnosed by his first ENT but luckily his ENT at the downtown campus of the Cleveland Clinic was persistent.

If the opinion of MD Anderson is the same or different than your local ENT I personally would still be treated at MD Anderson if at all possible.

Hope everything goes well.

Teresa