NewYorker,

My diagnosis was very similar to Nelie's, but was many years earlier before chemo was routinely done along with radiation. Even though the pathology reports from my surgery showed clean margins and no lymph node involvement, my cancer team felt strongly that radiation was needed as an extra measure of caution. As Nelie described, the radiation covered a broader area than just the tumor site itself -- mine was around the tumor site, the jaw, base of tongue, and down the neck to the collarbone.

Cancer cells can exist at a microscopic level than cannot be detected by scans, which is one reason why radiation may need to be done where the cancer has shown aggressive tendencies (even though all visible signs of the tumor may be gone). If your mother isn't yet being seen by a comprehensive cancer center team, I would urge her to get to one ASAP.

Cathy