I am back from my appointments at M.D.Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where I went for some second opinions. I am happy to say that they concurred with all of my treatment plans so far. They said that, with clear surgical margins and a negative neck dissection, they would not have recommended radiation at this time. They also were impressed with my surgery (done at LSU in Shreveport.) They said that I could not have gotten a better outcome if they had done it. In fact, they were a little amazed that my surgeon was able to do the surgury totally within my mouth, without an external incision. Perhaps I should be thankful that I went where I did for my surgery, since otherwise I might have a facial scar that could have been avoided.

I did get a good checkup, using a fiberoptic viewer to look through my palatal defect, and using a different viewer and some numbing sprays to view down my throat, so I feel better about waiting to see my own surgeon, who had told me that I was doing well and didn't need to be seen for 6 months. (THAT made me nervous!) Now, it's just 2 1/2 months until I see him, but I have had a good checkup to help me to be calm until then.

Of course, going for second opinions AFTER treatment is still not the same. I still was not seen by a team who planned my treatment course before we began, so I feel that my treatment has been a bit scattered.

If any sort of recurrence is discovered down the line, I will need to decide whether or not to transfer my care to MDA. I think, having gone through the doubts that I have, even though I have obviously had good care, I will certainly get a second opinion and will most likely transer my care to Houston. If I have a recurrence, then the treatment will be much more complex, involving most likely radiation and chemo, and I will want to then be in a larger center's system.

I have go give credit to my surgeon. Even though I have had my doubts about some things, he obviously has given me superior surgical care, as evidenced by the comments of every single physician and dentist who has had occasion to look inside my mouth.

Advice for someone else on this board who was trying to decide about going to the larger center or not: I say yes. Certainly you should get an opinion from them, even though it takes a little time and effort. I was tormented by the thought that I might be "missing something" by not having gone to the larger center. I still would have felt more confident if I had started my treatment at the "top of the mountain.'

Colleen--T-2N0M0 SCC dx'd 12/28/05...Hemi-maxillectomy, partial palatectomy, neck dissection 1/4/06....clear margins, neg. nodes....no radiation, no chemo....Cancer-free at 4 years!