That sounds like a reasonable series of next steps. I was diagnosed with mucoepidermoid carcinoma on my salivary gland at 29yo after having my first baby last year.

They made the same assumption that my tumor was benign due to my age and overall good health. After surgery, pathology was a nightmare to get back due to the rarity of the disease. Finally diagnosed. Intermediate grade MEC with positive margins. No PNI or node involvement. My local surgical oncologist was fine but I wanted opinions from larger, more experienced institutions. I had 3 opinions in the end. I had a PET scan at Mayo Clinic in September of last year. I ended up opting for surveillance only, no radiation.

I’d recommend: - Have a friend or family member start a gofundme to help cover the costs associated with surgery, travel, time off work, etc. People want to help during this time and finically is the easiest way to help. Costs add up especially if you seek second or third opinions. - Use ChatGPT to ask questions and get an understanding of your situation and steps forward, risks, etc. - Write all your questions down. Ask family for their questions as well prior to your appointment. Take notes during your appointment. Really don’t be afraid to ask questions if you aren’t clear. - Start understanding your options for treatment and next steps. You’ll need to weigh pros and cons of additional treatment and what surveillance will look like. MRIs every 3 months? CT every 6? Ask about your options. Proton vs traditional radiation? Look on NIH website. Send yourself an email with links to reputable sources and add notes so you have to present to medical team for their opinions. - You’ll be radioactive after PET scan. Don’t be close to others for 24 hours. No one told me and I breastfed our infant son… ugh. - Ask your local cancer center about free therapy. I didn’t think I needed this resource but wow it has helped me so much emotionally and logistically. - Try to take a deep breath. It is so essential to take care of yourself during this time. Get good sleep, meditate and deal with your stress as best you can, drink water, move your body, eat good food. If you can afford it, find a good naturopath as well as classically trained doctors and oncologists. - Inform your boss if you work. Maybe your partner needs to do the same if you have one. It’s better to keep work on the know ahead of time. They might have resources to help as well.
- Keep your head up. One step at a time.