Since reading almost all the posts on this site, I am astounded that "all of this" had taken place and I had never heard a thing about oc until my son was dx with it in March '06. Maybe it just didn't register. As an update, my son will go in for neck surgery the middle of August. So far so really good; he is back to old life right now, looks good, feels good. Now we must start the worry machine - can't help it.

Here is what I have taken away from this:

1. Don't wait to be examined - preferrably an ENT, they seem to have the most expertise in this area. If something persists, go again. You hate to be overly concerned, but it does seem hard to detect until pretty far gone.

2. Do not trust 1 doctor to accurately diagnose oc -I've read on this site that dentists, primary care doctors, even surgeons have missed the dx.

My son went to dentist every 6 months and waited a year to go to ENT. That's when the nightmare began, and if it is cancer it's still a hard blow but maybe the treatment wouldn't have to be so hard. Collie