I am not an M.D., but I have a lot of training in cancer biology. Most cancers metastasize (spread) through the lymph system, so the fact that your uncle had it in his lymph nodes is a bad sign. Now it would seem that he has some sort of neurofibroma. Again, very bad news. The tissues of the CNS (spinal cord) do not regenerate well. So if they are damaged by radiation, there isn't much hope of the tissue rebuilding itself. That is, he may survive the radiotherapy, but may have some paralysis. The good news is that there are some stellar radiation oncologists in Boston. He should be in good hands. If they are able to irradiate the lesions without directly affecting the spinal cord, his chances are much better.
I hope that things go well for him. It probably would be a good time to reach out to him if you are close at all. People who "don't want to bother you with their troubles" are often the ones who most need a friend to talk to at a time like this. I can only imagine what he and your family must be going through.
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