Ron,

I think the most important thing is that you are getting treatment recommendations at a comprehensive cancer center. Our private practice ENT wanted to do a neck dissection immediately and told us that AFTER that healed we'd have to find our own radiation oncologist and medical oncologist to complete the treatment.

When we went to a cancer center, my husband was evaluated individually by each member of the team and then they met and came up with a comprehensive treatment plan.

In my husband's case, they said that they have 3 weapons to fight this cancer...surgery, chemo and radiation. We were also told that when they feel they can successfully fight the cancer with 1 or 2 of the 3 weapons, then they don't want to put the patient through more than is necessary.

There are several instances where a patient does endure all three. However, I just hope that you've had your consult with the whole team instead of a private practice ENT before you make the decision.

In my husband's case, they said that the surgery wouldn't get rid of the micro mets that were already in his system due to the fact that the cancer had traveled to the lymph nodes. So, there was no avoiding the two big guns, which were chemo and radiation, even if he had endured the surgery.

Have you had a full consult with a surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist?