Gary, thank you for the details of the needle biopsies. I'm going to have to talk to my doc again. Can Velscope and/or Vizilite be used for this?

Charm and Jim, you guys are always great. Charm, it's kind of scary that you had no pain and a clear PET. I actually don't get PET's anymore. My first doctor thought they were great and I had one every 3 months. My current doctor does not find them useful. That said, they do not do any kind of imaging, my appointments are simply light in the mouth and she feels around my neck. I just think by the time you feel something it's too late. Do I have this wrong?

I went to Sloan Kettering in NY for a 2nd opinion. Since SK is supposed to be one of the best cancer hospitals in the world I thought this was a good move. I saw the head doc for head and neck cancer and he said what my doc at Fox Chase says. No PETs and just watch it. This should give me some comfort and it does....I just can't shake the thought of it coming back. Maybe I just have not had enough appointments where it looks good. I've only had 1 in the past 3 years and that was last month.

Angelia, I really wish the docs spent more time on the emotional part. I do see a therapist and she is wonderful. The first therapist I saw was very "you will be ok. I don't need to see you again" I thought, well this isn't going to work. So I see a woman in the same practice and the very first appointment, we went into her office, closed the door, sat down and I sobbed for the entire hour!! Man that felt good...there was just something about her that I felt comfortable with. Same thing when I found this site....I can't say how the people here have helped me.