I'm brand new to this forum, but I'm interested in learning more about how to recognize the signs. My girlfriend has been recovering very well, but I'm worried about the future. Marriage, kids, pregnancy, etc. The more I read, the more I'm starting to realize that there really isn't a test out there that can detect cancer cells until they have multiplied to quite a high number and have formed some sort of tumor. A PET scan I guess cannot detect a very early stage I imagine? My apologies if I posted on the wrong forum, like I said I'm new and trying to learn the ropes. I'm also still a little shell shocked from the whole ordeal these past 3 months. She was diagnosed early Nov 2012.

Welcome to OCF! Sounds like you are the caregiver for your girlfriend. Thats not an easy job! Glad to hear she has finished her treatment. You will find tons of info both here on the forum and on the main OCF pages. Take some time to read and you can learn an incredible amount of info about oral cancer. Best wishes with her recovery.

Welcome dhav. Sorry for your girlfriend's diagnosis, and surgery. The good thing, T1 has a very high cure rate, so plan on. It's not that PET scans can't detect T1 tumors, but ones that are less than 1cm in size. T1 are less than 2cm. You are correct there are no tests to detect sccc cancer, but there are gene, protein expressions, and other indicators for possible cancer. Oral cancer is more easily detected being more in view than the oropharynx, so any changes, suspicions that lasts more than 2 weeks, should be seen by a doctor, and regular follow-ups should be made with your doctors. Oral cancer is mostly caused by smoking, but see in the signature your GF is a non smoker. The other causes are alcohol, viruses, and other suspected causes, exposure to carcinogens, and sometimes some have no risk factors. HPV is in the oropharynx 90 percent of the tim, but can be elsewhere in the oral area, and a few others. I assume the doctors checked the oropharynx, esphogus during surgery with an esphoscopy, triple scope?

As mentioned, the links on OCF are bery helpful, and can explain everything better, but hope I answered some of your questions.

Thank you both, ChristineB and PaulB for helping me in the right direction here on this website. I've been reading all the wonderful information that is brought to the forefront from the comments on this site since Nov. Our ENT is one of the best in our city, but we never went to an actual Cancer center, so I'm still a little more circumspect than she is when it comes to the doctor's diagnosis and treatment. I'm confident in their decision to go ahead with the aggressive procedure (those were her wishes), but they have not conducted much follow up on the oropharynx, esphogus, etc. to test for HPV. They have just suspected HPV thus far.