opalcocky, several links to long term survivors...

opalcocky, several links to long term survivors here:

http://csn.cancer.org/node/150014

As Chrysalis says, get the best surgeon for the job. This can be difficult, as most surgeons consider themselves to be the best ..... and if you ask them who they would have operate on themselves, they'll suggest a mate.

8 hours seems a long time.

There is no such thing as a cancer specialist. Surgeons will say "operate", radiologists will say "radiate" and oncologists will say chemo .... we found it very difficult to work out what to do with a comparatively benign but very inaccessible tumour - they were all wrong! The best thing to do turned out to be to leave it to grow slowly until surgical techniques improved (reducing the operation time from 12 to 6 hours, and the recovery period from three months - minimum, assuming one recovers at all - to under three days), and it doesn't sound like you have that option.

The best surgical techniques may not be available in this country.

Research like mad. Local medical library as well as the internet. Try and work out survival times for each technique; recurrence rates, % survivors after ten, twenty years, etc. Don't be afraid to find out the truth, knowledge really is power in our experience.

Keep a look out for pioneer surgeons for that type of tumour - they, or their apprentices, may well be the best, or have developed the latest techniques.

Good luck, and don't let the "experts" intimidate you.