Hi Francesca,

Like so many others here, I wish there was a magic formula that could insure your cancer would be treated with a just enough/not too much magic bullet. My son, age 22, had a similar cancer, scc of tongue, T2NOMO, with partial glossectomy and removal of lymph nodes (clear). His margins are "mostly" good, except for one spot that is 3mm, that the doctors wish was 5mm.

His surgeon is positive she got all the cancer out. She recommended against radiation. She feels his age and the fact that he is a non-smoker, non-drinker could mean that his body is somehow "sensitive" to carcinogens. She says there is an increased chance (30X) that he could develop a radiation-induced cancer in the future. Also that it might be a good idea to keep radiation as a reserve weapon in case it's needed. Plus, she's concerned with quality of life issues in such a young person.

As sure as she was about this, she made certain my son saw a radiation oncologist to present his side.

He believes my son should have radiation. He says: out of 100 people who had my son's tumor and my son's surgery, 15 of them will have recurrence. But, to him, that's not the scary part. The scary part is that treating a recurrence is more difficult than treating the original disease. Only half of the 15 will survive. With radiation, only 5 of the original 100 will have recurrence.

It is a huge decision, one that even some of the best doctors in the world can't agree on.

My son opted for no radiation, but close follow up. That means driving 3 hours each way once a month to visit his surgeon. It means CT scans every 3 months. It means having a lot of faith in your doctors -- that they can spot or feel anything unusual -- in a tongue that already looks/feels abnormal. It means worrying. A lot.

Best of luck. I hope you make the right choice for you.

-darcy (Matt's mom)