I'm a 44 year old female, never smoked. I had SCC of left lateral tongue margin found in late 2019, removed surgically with clean margins, but perineural invasion. Radical neck dissection came back with all lymph nodes clean. Did radiation anyway on there advice of the doctors just in case. 8 months later and the cancer's back. It's in my nerve, making my chin numb, and in the left floor of my mouth.

I'm being seen at UCSF in San Francisco. They say it's inoperable and want to start immunotherapy.

Questions:
  • Should I seek a second opinion? Honestly I don't want to go through a debilitating surgery if it doesn't have much hope of success. I'd rather go for quality of life over a small chance at a few more years, but I do have Stanford fairly close by.
  • What does immunotherapy entail?
  • Does insurance cover immunotherapy?
  • I'm sure there are questions I don't even know to ask, so any info or advice beyond what I've asked here is very much welcomed and appreciated.

    Erica