For any professionals who see this, I am looking for some advice on my most recent diagnosis. I am a mid-fifties caucasion male who first noticed a small white lesion (about the size of a pencil eraser) underneath the left margin of my tongue in 2002. Having been a moderate drinker for 35 years and a recreational smoker, (including a 3 year stint of occaisional cigar use leading up to the 2002 diagnosis), I knew enough to get it checked out. My dentist thought it was nothing but sent me to an Oral Surgeon to ease my mind. The surgeon also thought it was no cause for concern, but agreed to biopsy it to ease my mind. The biopsy showed dysplastic cells with clean margins. My surgeon advised that we just keep an eye on it and do nothing further. A white spot returned in several months and was removed by laser surgery at our local hospital by the same Oral Surgeon. Probably a year later, in June of "05, the spot returned and was again biopsied with the same diagnosis. I never really altered my lifestyle habits during this time either. Within a year of the first tongue biopsy, in Jan. '03, I also had an episode that led to an Endoscopic biopsy of my esophagus that also found dysplastic cells and was diagnosed as "Barrett's Esophagus". Treatment for the "Barrett's" has included a daily Nexium, reduction in acidic foods, elevating the head of my bed, etc.
Now the tongue spot returned about 6 weeks ago and became larger than before, maybe the size of a dime. The same surgeon did incisional biopsy again, this time taking a much larger, deeper sample in an attempt to get all the questionalble cells. The biopsy report came back today and once again indicated dysplasia with mild dysplastic changes in the lateral margins of the sample.
My question is: what should I do next? I am becoming uncomfortable with biopsy's and then a "wait and see" approach. Even though I don't yet have a cancer diagnosis, I want to know what I might do to try and prevent this from becoming cancer. Any thoughts or recommendations will be appreciated.
