My mother has oral cancer. She has had four surgeries and radiation. The cancer has come back again and any further sugery would be radical and would leave her unable to speak or eat. She has decided not to do this, but we are now exploring chemotherapy options. We kow this will not be a cure but may shrink the tumor. One highly regarded cancer center recommended carbo-taxol treatment which would be administered once every 3 weeks. This has a 50% success rate in shrinking the tumor. Another oncologist in a center closer to home said that at my mother's age (83) and in her weakened condition from all of the surgeries and radiation, he would recommend a weekly treatment of methatraxate that is milder but less effective. He is concerned that the carbo-taxol would leave her prone to serious infection. We have to make a decision soon and we don't know what to do. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.