Please help! My 71 yr old mother has recently (three weeks) finished radiation for a large(3cmx4cm) tumor under her tongue. On Monday we had a follow up appointment with her RO and I (my mum is pretty passive about all of this, but we did come up with the questions together) asked some very specific questions about the treatment and if had been successful. Here is what he said..."I do still feel a lump under your tongue, which could very well be dead cancer cells, but the question is how hard do we want to look at this? A CAT scan would show the mass, and it's too soon for a PET scan, so the only other option would be a biopsy, but your mouth is still too irrated for that, so let's go with this. We were shooting for a cure, let's hope for a cure. I'll see you in a couple of months and if the mass is shrinking , that's good. If it's gotten bigger, then maybe we have to look a little closer at it. Until then let's just go with the hope that you are cured." What my mother got from that conversation was that she was cancer free! I did not. What I got was let's hope for the best. My mother is feeling as if she has been given a miracle and can't understand why I am not reacting the same way. I don't know what to say. On one hand I understand that what the RO was saying was that she should get on with her life. She can't have an effective PET scan for at least 12 weeks. The problem is that this seems misleading and unfair. My mother (who is not a big doctor person anyway) will be totally unprepared when it is time for a PET scan. I have kept my mouth shut, because I really don't know what to do! Please, I need some advice so badly. What I heard was that we have done the best that we could, now let's see what happens. I don't want to be the one that crushes my Mum's spirit! Please, please help!

Thanks!

Samantha

PS Sorry so long and rambling