Ron,

Welcome to this site -- I'm glad you found it, and also glad you've made it 14 years since your initial diagnosis and treatment.

I would also emphasize that it's very important to get an opinion from a head and neck team at a comprehensive cancer center, if you haven't already. When I was diagnosed almost 16 years ago (at age 39), I was a lifetime nonsmoker and the surgery results indicated that the doctors had gotten all of the cancer with good margins (no lymph node involvement). Notwithstanding that, the tumor board at my cancer center argued strenuously for radiation, and I took their advice -- reluctantly. At that time, IMRT wasn't even an option, so I had general field radiation. While it was rough going for a number of months, the long-term effects have been relatively minor and manageable. The taste buds came back within a few months and, while I still have some dry mouth issues, I've been able to deal with them in part by medication and mouthwashes like Biotene.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few people on this site who can tell you that they held off on radiation because of misgivings about the side effects, or because a doctor told them they could "save it for later", but they ended up regretting that decision. Please be sure you are getting the best advice you can from experienced head and neck professionals, and follow their recommendations.

Cathy