Hi Joy,

I'm new to this. My husband was diagnosed last month and just recently started treatments.

I did not want my husband to have to go through radiation for the reasons you mentioned above. However, we got more than one opinion, and they all included radiation.

He started his first of 35 treatments this past Monday along with chemotherapy.

In the simplest terms, we were told that the chemo could only weaken the cancer cells, and it was the radiation that had the power to kill them.

My husband's treatment did not include surgery. However, in his situation, he would have had to have RT and chemo regardless. Because of the lymph node involvement, our treatment team couldn't assure us that there weren't microscopic cancer cells outside of the cancer source and identified lymph nodes.

There are so many types of oral cancers, and I know there are different courses of treatment. None, of which guarantee a perfect outcome.

Ask lots of questions of your docs, and consult with a MO in addition to an RO. You might not like the answers...I didn't. But, ultimately, my husband and I feel confident he is on the best treatment path available to him. And, the rest is in God's hands.

Kindest regards,