I am a 63 year old non-smoker, non-drinker, female. For the past year I have been seeing an ENT for a lesion on the left side of my tongue. A biopsy done in his office revealed mild dysplasia last December. The ulcer did not heal after this biopsy so I had outpatient surgery in February to remove a larger portion for biopsy. The path report was not clear according to the doctor but he said it was not cancer...this was all done in a small town. The wound healed to the point of the prior ulcerated site and no more. I have recently gone to an ENT in a nearby city and he wants to do a large section with a graft. He says this is HPV. After reading on this site I think I want to go to the cancer center at a hospital here. They have a speciality in head and neck cancers. While this is not cancer yet (I don't think) it seems it must be treated as such because of the 30% chance of becoming cancer. This has been a long year and it looks like it's going to just get worse. This site has been very informative...I just wish I had located it sooner and not wasted time, etc. with the first ENT.

Yes do go to a large Cancer Center. From what you have described there is virtually no chance that lesion would be connected to HPV. Mild dysplasia, while it should be constantly monitored, often resolves itself and never turns into cancer so, again based upon what you have described, I would NOT let anyone cut any more off until you are seen by someone at this cancer center. JM2C's

Hi there I totally agree with David... This lesion is likely NOT HPV related - and difficulty healing to me indicates real trouble. My original bx came back inflamed tissue ( no mention of displasia) and two years later since the problem was persistent I had another one done by a different dr. (a sadist frankly - but that's another story) this time it came back SCC - and the spot never healed. At this point I sought out the top otolaryngist (ENT) in toronto... The head of the head and neck clinic at PMH (top ccc) and he performed a hemiglossectomy and nek dissection - between biopsy and surgery - 6 weeks - I had a node flare up (and they were clear on a ct and MRI up to January 6 - (my surgery was feb 4 last year) my cancer was well to moderately differentiated but still moved quickly after the biopsy - I do think whomever read my MRI didn't know what he was doing as I could palpate the node prior to the scan (but not before my cts - dec 21) - anyway my point is this -go to a ccc - get an expert opinion) the longer you wait the worst it is mentally and physically - if it's not cancer they should be able to tell you what it is - and your mind will be eased - if it is you've saved yourself time and every little bit helps when you're dealing with cancer. Good luck!