August,

I've been on this forum for about 2 1/2 years now and have seen plenty of T2's who had radiation (and plenty of others who didn't). From everything I've read here and on several of the linked sites, it's not a straightforward call, and it depends on many of the specific characteristics of the tumor, not just the stage.

I was 39 and a non smoker when I was diagnosed. I had a partial glossectomy followed by a modified radical neck dissection, and the pathology report showed that the surgeons got clear margins, and that there was no lymph node involvement. However, the report also indicated that the tumor was "poorly differentiated", which meant that it had the potential to grow aggressively. I think it was that fact, along with the fact that there could still be microscopic cancer cells left behind, that caused my tumor board to push strenuously for me to have radiation (which I did). I followed their advice, had many of the nasty side effects (mostly temporary) that go with radiation, and thankfully have not had a recurrence in 17 years.

The thing that concerns me most about your post is that it sounds as though the recommendation not to have radiation is coming from one person -- your surgeon. There are lots of terrific surgeons out there (and some less than terrific), but I think they have a tendency to focus on their own specialty. If you haven't seen a comprehensive head and neck cancer team, I would urge you to get to one for an opinion. They can either support your surgeon's conclusion (which should put some of your fears to rest), or give you sound reasons why perhaps surgery alone wasn't enough.

Cathy