Check the questions I listed at the beginning of this chapter. What is the chance of cure? What other ways, if any, are there of achieving a cure? Some cancers which can be cured by surgical removal can also be cured by radiation treatment. Surgery has certain advantages—diseased tissues are actually seen, removed and examined under the microscope for completeness of removal. There is no equivalent way of being sure that radiation treatment includes the whole of the primary cancer. Surgery takes a few hours and a week or two in hospital, radiation treatment can take six to eight weeks. On the other hand, radiation treatment can be less mutiliating. For example, patients with cancers of the tongue, lip, throat, larynx (voice-box) and breast are likely to be much less disfigured if treated with radiotherapy than if treated with surgery.

Ask whether your chances would be improved by combining surgery with other forms of treatment. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are very specialised types of treatment so your surgeon will probably not know a lot about them. Ask to be referred to these specialists if you suspect or know that they could play a useful part in your treatment.

Make sure you have answers to all of the questions at the beginning of this chapter before making your decision. Surgery aimed at curing cancer should not be rushed into but, rather, carefully planned. This means there should be plenty of time to get all the information you need.

Consider every aspect of the possible ‘cost’ and benefit that is important to you, not just what your surgeon accepts as important. You are the one who will be stuck with any disfigurement, discomfort or inconvenience, not your surgeon! Anything you think is important, is important. Don’t be talked out of what you know about yourself.

*245/40/1*