Months ago I was noticing a white patch on my tongue. Being too busy I dismissed it as something my inhalers did from asthma. When my tongue started to feel irritated I went to an ENT Doctor (ear, nose and throat). I was pawned off to her assistant who treated me for thrush for a month. Finally, I insisted on seeing the actual doctor who upon first sight of my tongue suggested a biopsy from a good hospital. I called the hospital and couldn't get an appointment for a month. Finally, two days after a painful biopsy I was told I had squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) in my mouth. I'm looking at losing close to half my tongue to surgery because I had bad medical treatment. Let's face it. The earlier you catch cancer the better the outcome will be. Needless to say if you look in your mouth and your tongue looks questionable go to an oral surgeon and have a biopsy ASAP. Good Health to all.

I went to the ENT because my wife and I could not sleep in the same room because my snoring kept her awake. The ENT looked at my throat and then at my neck. He noticed my lymph nodes swollen on both sides of my neck and said he needed to do a biopsy. It came back positive for cancer. He immediately set me up with the Radiologist and Chemo Doctors and I started treatment soon after. After 35 radiation treatments and 6 chemo treatments, I finished up and rested to recover. I tried to work but was unable physically and emotionally. I kept my weight up (after losing over 50 LBs) with my feeding tube and Boost+. Finally after 9-10 months on the feeding, I was able to eat food. It started off slowly but gradually I could eat again and just in time for the holidays. I have to eat a lot slower and chew my food really well. But it is good to be pretty much back to normal. There is hope for throat cancer victims. By the way, my Chemo doctor told me I am one of the only cancer victims he could think of who did not smoke or drink. Who knows what causes the cancer.

I noticed a persistent soreness in my mouth after a short bout of flu. It felt like it was on the floor of my mouth between my side teeth and my gum on the left. My husband said it looked like an ulcer which I have never had before. It was "treated" unsuccessfully with three different types of antibiotics. My GP ordered swab tests for viruses, blood tests and finally referred me to the ENT specialist at the hospital. Now, today, nearly 5 months later, after an MRI last Thursday and multiple mouth biopsies on Friday I have been told I have cancer of the soft palate.

Fourteen years ago I had a sore in the roof of mouth, dentist passed it off as "burnt ." After three more months of pain and bleeding, and putting caps on front teeth, I insisted I did not burn my mouth, and I was sent for a biopsy. I was told it was cancer. I had extensive surgery, and two years later, another spot appeared and was treated. Now I have another large portion inside of cheek, and will have surgery next week. Make sure your dentist does not blow you off when a spot appears where is should not be.

My son is 17 years of age and I took him to the dentist for a cleaning and the dentist found a white patch on his upper left gum. He told us that my son had the beginnings of mouth cancer and for him to stop smoking.

Excellent, comprehensive, and clinically relevant information. Extremely helpful to begin to understand complexicity of oral cancers. Thank you. A. Perez, MD