Rick,

I think you are on the right track with getting a second opinion at MD Anderson. I don't know if not having a mask could have compromised your mother's treatment or not, but I do know that Mark's statement about radiation being effective is not entirely correct. It is true that RAD is effective ........most of the time. Some tumors are just RAD resistant. As we were told by both the RAD oncologist and the surgeon after Heather's death, you can blast some tumors to kingdom come and back and they will still not be eradicated. They believe that Heather's second tumor was growing the entire time she was receiving her RAD treatments. Adding chemo to the treatment regimen makes the tumor more receptive to the RAD, thereby making the RAD more effective.

Rosie

Was primary caregiver to my daughter Heather who had stage IV base of tongue SCC w/ primary recurrence. Original diagnosis August 21st, 2002. Primary recurrence March 18th, 2003. Died October 6th, 2003.