I'm not sure how to do this. I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on my tongue Oct 23, had partial glossectomy and neck dissection Nov. 10th. Margins were clear, no lymph node involvement, .8mm cancer (I don't know what you call it). My risk factor, and why my surgeon recommends radiation, is peri-neural invasion on a small nerve. Radiation has it's own risk factors and I haven't been able to make a decision about it.
Has anyone had radiation and still had a recurrence? Has anyone not had radiation and not had a recurrence? Any experience with this sort of scenario would be helpful.
Thank you for you time and caring.

Radiation for me was worse then Cancer surgery. They are a lot of long term effects that have effected my ability to eat.

My 6 weeks radiation ended March 5 2019. I still have altered smell.While my taste buds have come back some not nearly all the way. A lot of foods start out tasting okay but then lose flavor. Swallowing is greatly effected.

I’m not sure if I would have went against medical advice if I knew what I knew now but I would have asked a lot more questions

I had 30 rounds of radiation because of 4 lymph nodes being involved. I found the radiation treatment to be very painful, much more so than my surgery.

But, I'm now 7 years out, with no recurrence. Taste and smell are normal. The only real side effect I still have is more fatigue than I would consider normal.

I don't regret doing it because I felt it was better to do everything possible than to wonder if I had done enough.

I finished 30 rounds of RT on July 8, 2019. I had 1 lymph node found with SCC but no extra-nodal extension. Same basic surgery as you. I asked my oncologist for the stats on recurrance with and without RT. The equivalent of roughly 600,000 chest X-rays (60 gray units) is significant and I was asking the same questions as you. I was given recurrance odds of 40% without and 20% with RT. My odds got “twice as good” so I did it. Everyone’s odds are different. This was based on my situation. Stage 4 tongue, clean margins, one node, no ENE, etc.

Surgery was intense recovery. I felt better almost daily. Recovery from RT is the opposite. It is a long slow recovery. I measure my recovery in weeks and months. The worst remaining side effect now, 7 months later, is stiffness in my neck and tongue and loss of saliva. I have lots of dental work required and must take extra steps to keep my teeth clean.

It’s simple discipline to address these items. I don’t mean easy to do. It’s hard but we do it because we must. Do my tongue exercises and brush, floss, rinse after every snack or meal. I mean it, every little cookie or bite. Change is tough after 52 years. I am back to full life many months ago. I surf, ski, run, work full time, and live with a giant smile every day. Thru this experience, my faith has deepened and offered me a joy and peace I never imagined before. I hope this helps you. Bless you and I pray you make a choice that feels right for you.