Thanks everyone for your input. I just heard back from my radiation oncologist and here's what he said: "I've never head of gargling with oil. However, if you'd like to try I have absolutely no objections as I don't see any harm" He then went on to talk about the importance of good oral hygeine, especially rinsing with a mixture of salt and baking soda (1 tablespoon of each in 1 quart of water) four or five times a day to keep the mouth clean and healthy.

Also, I did some more digging and the person who recommended the gargling with oil to my friend's husband 10 years ago was the head of radiation oncology at St. Barnabas Cancer Center in NJ. I am going to try to track this doctor down and see if he still recommends this after 10 more years of experience. I will let people know what I learn. David R