Roger-
Did you get a second opinion before you began treatment? If not, it would be a good thing to get one at a major cancer treatment center.
Radiation is different for everyone and yes at it's worse it can have unpleasant side effects. You get through it and as many have said- You really get one good shot to wipe the cancer out- My husband was told that his treatment team was declaring WW 3 on him. He had induction chemo, chemo and 7 weeks of daily IRMT. 10 months after finshing treatment there is no sign of cancer- we will live with the risk of reoccurence every day in the new normal- We also know -he did all the treatments offered. Surgery wasn't reccomended because his cancer was poorly differentiated.
Caregiver to Gil, dx 11/05,T2N2b,M0, Stage 4 BOT,Rt Tonsil, 2 nodes in neck, finished trt 3/12/06