I�m going through this now. In regards to chemo; there is no known chemo that will kill SCC. Chemo only slows and weakens the cancer. In the case of palliative care, chemo gives you more time by slowing the growth of the cancer. In that case of full treatment with radiation, chemo weakens the cancer giving the radiation a better chance of killing it.
I was just told that the addition of chemo to the radiation I will be receiving will increase my chances of long term survival by about 10%.
You are very lucky that your current condition does not include pain. I can assure you that eventually the pain will come, when it does; god help you.

Bill, please get help. I started out with surgery, followed by nearly 8 weeks of radiation, with 3 chemo sessions spread throughout the 8 weeks. I wasn't that much younger than you when I was diagnosed, and I didn't hesitate. I am two years out of treatment, and while the treatments were awful, I don't regret any of it. I am still here, thank God, and have been able to spend time with my first grandchild, who I might never have met if I hadn't had the treatments. Good luck to you. Everyone here is rooting for you!

Hi Bill, my father, 66 yr old, went through treatment for the second time. He had a asymptomatic nodal mass of 6 cm (just had occassional neck pain) and his treatment included Induction Chemotherapy (3 cycles), Surgery and Chemotherapy. He is still recovering from treatment and I hopeful that he will be alright in next couple of months.

After his first time, he also significantly changed his diet and lifestyle in hope that it never comes back again. Unfortunately, he had a recurrence. I feel that probably he was able to slow it down significantly but for not too long.

A breast cancer survivor gave me this good advise...you find the best doctor around and then do what the doctor says.

I did chemo and radiation together, and have been cancer free for one year. It is tough, but worth it. I feel great now.

wow...can't believe you believed that what you were doing was gonna cure you sorry to say wow...shaking my head in disbelief...sorry again

I"m new to this and never sure if these comments get posted. I really am very appreciative of the time and thought behind your comments. Though I have a large family still I have had few conversations about this cancer. So, again, I am very appreciative. Now....I'd like to share some of my own thoughts about this "journey". My symptoms are few: no pain...anywhere, no discomfort, no difficulty eating nor swallowing. Breathing, speaking and such are fine. In fact, I'm strengthening my vocal chords by singing and laughing more. Still, I do have and remain quite concerned about this rather large lump on the side of my neck. A much smaller one now comes and goes. I'm "guessing" my lymph system is trying to digest/dissipate/dispose of this cancerous node on the base of my tongue. But I don't really know for sure. So, I'm hopeful that my lifestyle changes (and I've generally led a peaceful and healthy life before this) will strengthen my immune system enough to suppress the cancer and leave me amongst the multitudes who have benign HPV. Hope,of course, like beliefs, can often be buried by knowledge. And, for that, I am still searching. So, of course, I'd love to see some longevity stats comparting treatment and nontreatment individuals. I have not yet learned that from my 3 brilliant docs at UCSD. And, I google but no luck. Any ideas?

Wow. Are you for real.? Healthy diet and "strengthening the immune system" will NOT deal with a cancer.
Have you listened too and actually read all the advice given to you on this site?
Man, either you get yourself to a Head and Neck specialist right now or it will be too late. And you WILL DIE of this thing.

At any age, life is just too precious to waste even a moment putting off the proven standard medical treatment. You can still do the healthy lifestyle changes, but these will not kill the cancer and you will not be "singing and laughing" for very long. When you say that "Hope. . . can often be buried by knowledge" I have to disagree. Knowledge, especially the knowledge found on this site from the caring individuals who have been where you are, actually brings the hope so necessary for survival. Re longevity stats comparing treatment versus non-treatment, the reason that googling did not bring results is because the non-treated individuals did not live long enough to talk about it. If you really want to survive this, listen to your docs.

Your Question: [quote]So, of course, I'd love to see some longevity stats comparting treatment and nontreatment individuals. I have not yet learned that from my 3 brilliant docs at UCSD. And, I google but no luck. Any ideas? [/quote]
My Answer: Check your newspaper and internet and local funeral home website for obituaries. Those are the places where the statistics appear for "nontreatment individuals" This is a serious answer since non treatment has one result and one result only: death. There are ZERO documented cases of "spontaneous remission" of base of tongue cancer. Ancedotal reports of such fantasy turn out to be cases where they never had cancer at all (like Sandy's spouse)or else like some former posters, they had half of their radiation treatments and chemo and quit but it turned out to be enough.

It's wishful thinking that[quote] My symptoms are few: no pain...anywhere, no discomfort, no difficulty eating nor swallowing. Breathing, speaking and such are fine.[/quote] means that your lymph node is some sort of PAC-MAN gobbling up the cancer. At the time I was diagnosed with Stage IV and a huge tumor, that could have been me. Base of Tongue cancer is painless for the most part because there are not any nerves there.
You are not looking for knowledge, but for validation of a delusional belief system. While that is offered by Mexican clinics, homeopathic "doctors" and celebrity cancer books, it's not on the OCF menu.
But it is your life to throw away. Just don't pretend you are not choosing slow suicide.
Charm

At some point back in the past I ran into a blog from a guy who didn't treat his cancer. I think his wife had to continue it at one point as this guy started to go down fast and ugly.

The lymph tumors started growing out of the side of his neck and his tongue tumor got large enough to choke him (his tongue was the size of a lemon). Of course he died, but it was a long slow grisly affair. The photo's told most of the story.

Anyone know if that blog is still around?