Ben.. I'm like you - no drinking, no smoking, no drugs, ever and no stds either (oral tongue cancer is not HPV related normally)... And I can top you - vegetarian! Yes on the artificial sweeteners, and yes a sugar holic! (not no more!) I think mine was caused by chronic irritation but everyone has their own opinion on that too. Bottom line.. It happened. I've quoted this before - an oncologist once said, a recurrence soon after treatment means they didn't get it all to begin with.

So if you hit the 5 year mark and have remained cancer free then your odds of it coming back are probably the same as the odds as everyone else maybe a bit higher because you've had it before but, you could also step off the corner and get mowed down but a Mack truck! It's a crap shoot! smile do what you can do to treat it, do what you can do to try and help prevent it from coming back... Hats all you can do.

Usually the treatment for oral tongue cancer is surgery (often tumor removal, and grafting- If there's a large chunk gone, and a neck dissection) this is usually after its confirmed as cancer through a biopsy. If the size is -as you say - 4 cm, x 1 cm then that's probably why they removed it all right away. I am very surprised they didn't remove your nodes! I had no node involvement when I was scanned, but in the 5 weeks between diagnosis and surgery - I had one pop up, but it didn't matter because my sugeon had already told me he was taking 40 out. And he did! all were clean except the troublemaker.

I didn't have a second opinion either. I found out through someone in the know who the top guy at our top cancer hospital was (this came from another local ENT who is also tops in his field) and was referred to him. Hopefully you are starting treatment soon - but do see if you can get a second opinion, And don't wait.

My tumor was 2.4 cm x1.4 (based on the scans and then confirmation after Surgery). I was told that that plus my single node put me at a stage 2 (two drs. Told me this prior to surgery). More nodes changes the staging a little but remember - it's all about you.

Good luck!

Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan