Deb,

My dad found a small nodule in his right neck 1 month ago shaving and had neck stiffness for about 2 weeks. He went to his primary care Dr. and had a CT scan which showed probable stage IV CA, a lesion on the base of his tongue with mets to the right lymph nodes. He then had a biopsy of the mass last Wed.( he was on asprin and had to be off of it for 5 days prior to the biopsy) and the biopsy came back positive for a cancerous primary site stage IV lesion on the base of tonge and mets to multiple clustered lymph nodes, size 5 x 5.5. His MD then sent him to a specialist in VA. at UVA who looked at his CT scan, biopsy results and measured the mass and said it was 8.5 cm and it had affected the right side of his neck from the mandible to the clavicle with muscle involvement and he could see it in his throat. He told us at that point surgery was not an option and basically told us he was terminal, without intervention 6 mos. or less and with chemo/radiation possibly 1-3 yrs. He then sent us to a radiation oncologist who basically told us the same thing but said with agressive tx. it may shrink the tumor and then he could be scheduled for a radical neck. He went today for his dental appt. prior to starting tx. and he has an appt. tomorrow with an oncologist in Va.