Kyle,

I had tongue cancer and did not have a PEG tube (this was 18 years ago and it wasn't even presented as an option). As many others have said, it's really tough to keep eating enough, especially during the latter stages of radiation. My weight went from around 130 to 112 or so, even though I was VERY determined to keep my intake at a fairly high level.

You can't know for certain how badly your body will react to treatment -- as you can see from the many posts on this site, there's a pretty wide range of responses. I would suggest that, if you don't start with a PEG, you at least have a contingency plan in the event you can't get all the way through without it.

Cathy