Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. It really has been helpful to ask questions and read about those that have come before me - it's a great source of comfort.

I've decided to go with the Chemo-rad and follow it with surgery, if necessary. In my case, since the cancer has made it to my lymph nodes, the chemo-radiation is inevitable, even if I have surgery first. Also, there's no data that I'm aware of that says the chances are better with surgery first. Actually, I'm told the latest study done 4-5 years ago using national data from the VA show that there is no difference in outcome between surgery or chemo-rad tx.

Jennifer: I wish you the best possible recovery from your surgery.

Robert:
1) "Highly recommended" came from ENTs, Radiology Oncologists, and Oncologists. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was unable to filter the source of my recommendations. But come on, you think I'm listening to someone with an ingrown toenail?

2) The guy at the UofM is an ENT specialist who sees almost nothing but HNC.

3) I'm using IMRT for my radiation tx.

4) You say the U of Chicago has a 90 - 93% success rate. With what? SCC in the tongue? tonsils? neck? What stage? How are they measuring success? I have to say that that rate is way above anything I've heard possible with tongue or neck cancer. At this point I'm not paying too much attention to the statistics because I want/need to be on the survivor side. I've tried to become as informed as possible about the treatments and chances of success given my situation. However, the general numbers that I've been told are 65% to 70% survive "neck" cancer and the odds for people with base of tongue cancer, at least at my stage, are closer to 50-50.