Sorry Everyone for not writing sooner. Life has been going so fast. Work, school and the family has just been taking up all of my time and I guess i did not want to admit what I had. My three month appointment coming has been a reminder. I have begun to sort of worry again. Its funny when I was told I had oral cancer I knew I would be okay. My wife got mad because she said i was not being serious enough.

I do not know if I updated this board but my final diagnosis is as follows:
GINGIVA, LEFT PALATAL, BIOPSY:
1. KERATINIZING SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA, WELL DIFFERENTIATED
2. TUMOR SIZE: 1.5 CM IN GREATEST DIMENSION
3. MARGINS OF RESECTION:
a. PERIPHERAL AND DEEP MARGINS: UNINVOLVED BY CARCINOMA
b. ALVEOLAR BONE MARGINS (PERIPHERAL AND DEEP):
i. UNINVOLVED BY CARCINOMA
ii. BONE SECTIONS SHOW FIBROSIS AND
DEGENERATIVE CHANGES
4. LYMPHOVASCULAR SPACE INVASION: NOT IDENTIFIED
5. EXTRACTED TEETH, FOR IDENTIFICATION ONLY

I guess this means that my doctor pretty much got everything with the surgery and I am on three month visits for a while. The only questions that I thought about are what is keratinizing mean? I have read about keratinizing and non keratinizing. What is the difference? I know well differentiated is somewhat good because it resembles normal cells, but I could not find what keratinizing was. I don't know what stage it was but based on what i could find, I would guess an early stage. I guess I can ask my doctor in a couple of weeks but it would not matter. I just have to take better care of myself. My doctor also does not know why I got it as i do not fall under any of the risk factors. He thinks it is either hereditary or from advanced gum disease. Thank you for all of your time.