Hi Charlotte; As another person who has avoided the big culprits in oral cancer all my life I have often looked at other causes such as asbestos exposure (which I have definitely had.) Once the list starts though, I have to include BBQ meats, bacon, pollution, chlorine etc in the water,viruses, genetic damage and so on.
I wonder about a link, but the research is way behind us on a lot of this stuff.
Has Joe always had problems with swallowing? What does the Doc or Dental oncologist say about it? Some folks develop a narrowing in the esophagus after rads but they can do a dilation procedure to bring some relief and improve quality of life and diet. I might be assuming too much here, but if it's a problem with a remedy it's worth a shot.
It's always a treat to read a post from someone who has a couple of years recovery under their belt. Continued good luck to you both.
Cheers, Fran B.