Gary....You ask if my "RO" agreed with the decision. I am one who did not have a team. My surgeon made all the decisions. I am sure that he followed protocols, but I didn't know then what I know now about the team approach. Sue calls my doctor "Dr. Ego."

I got nervous about the radiation issue, and I went to MDA in Houston last summer for some second opinions, and they concurred that they would not have ordered radiation, given my statistics. I felt better then.

I will only know that it was the right decision when several years have passed and I either do or don't have more cancer. It's all a gamble.

The radiation itself is quite toxic, as most radiated patients here will agree. Is it worth the assurance that you are cured?? Darned right!! But if you don't need it, is it worth it? No. Who knows? All they can do is go by the statistics and the protocols. Statistics dictated that I should not need radiation. I even begged for it, and they said that I didn't need it. My husband is a physician, and he agreed that we shouldn't undergo radiation without cause.

I know that's no help. I had a maxillary/palatal lesion that is supposed to be less prone to recur. My surgeon stated that he had been "quite agressive" with my surgery, since he goes for the cure, and he felt unequivocally that he had "gotten it all." (This is Dr. Ego, remember!) I had clear margins, undifferentiated cells on pathology, and a clear neck dissection. With those statistics, I do not fit the profile of one who should need radiation. I intend to be diligent with surveillance and hope that we made the right call.

Some people have highly differentiated cells...or un-clear margins....or positive nodes...or a tumor in an area that is more likely to recur or encourage metastasis. Those patients must have radiation to clear the area of those remaining cancer cells.

Whether or not I have remaining cancer cells is something that I don't know. I am not comfortable waiting to find out, but I have to put those uncomfortable thoughts on the back burner while being very vigilant.

That's probably no help to you at all, Sharlee.

Keep us posted. Each case is different.

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!