Petey....NO question is lame. We were all Cancer 101 at one time. It's a difficult position to be in, and don't think that a single one of us has forgotten that terrible feeling. That's exactly why we are all here.....to help "beginners" and to continue to get support and information for ourselves. Don't EVER hesitate to ask anything at all.

You and I have talked......and I know that your problem area has not been biopsied.

You must find out more about why you are being told that you need extensive surgery, when they haven't even determined your lesion to be cancer.

The very first thing to do is to get a biopsy. That can be done either locally, or at a cancer center.

When you have a firm diagnosis, then you need/must get yourself to a center....usually a larger medical center, usually associated with a medical school and major research center......for the opinions of doctors who see LOTS of this problem. Usually a local physician is not experienced enough to know the range of treatment options.

DO NOT allow anyone to remove that lesion until they know what it is. And the only way they can know is through a biopsy.

You ask if all of that surgery would be necessary if the tumor is benign, and the answer is no.

It sounds like your doctor feels that it is cancer.....perhaps he has told you that IF it is, you will need all of the treatments that you mention......but they simply can NOT be allowed to go shopping to find out.....you can't have this major surgery without a diagnosis by biopsy, and without a second opinion from a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

I don't know where Lake Worth is, nor do I know what your closes CCC is, but I can promise you that that is where you need to go. It will be worth every mile and every minute. You will have the confidence that you are getting the best treatment available, and not taking second best. Confidence is VERY important now, and getting the best treatment available is VERY important now. It is your life we are talking about!!

I guess I sound a little bossy...but I am trying to make an impression, because either you have forgotten to mention having had a biopsy with a pathology report stating that you do have cancer, or your doctor is being very rash and rushing you to this major surgery without the proper foundation work being done. Please don't allow that!

End of lecture.

Keep us posted.

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!