Hello to the group,

After months of weight loss and trouble swallowing and talking, my mother was diagnosed with stage III throat cancer, with a 4cmx4cm tumor at the base of her tongue.
Due to size and proximity, the tumor is inoperable at this point and she will begin chemo and radiation therapy soon.

My family and I are stunned and bewildered, in addition to concerned for my mother's current state.

So I seek support from this group to both care for my mother now (while she can not hardly eat or speak) and in the future with the therapy.

Also, where can I find rankings of best treatments for head and neck (or tongue) cancer? I haven't found any more than general cancer treatment center rankings, but I want to make sure we are going for opinions at the best places possible. (Initial consultations have been at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA where she lives; the other is at Johns Hopkins this weekend.)

Thank you so much for this forum and for the posts that I have read so far. I am keeping everyone in my thoughts as we battle through this together.