HI. My father had a lump under his tongue for a while, which we now know was restricting tongue movement and causing him difficulty swallowing. Unfortunately he waited until he discovered a lump in the left side of his neck that wouldn't go away. We found out 3 weeks ago,(seems like months), that he has oral cancer in the floor of his mouth, stage 3, and it has spread to his lymphnodes in his neck. He will be starting treatment in the next two weeks. He has been a heavy smoker for many years and also an alcoholic up until 12 years ago. The oncologist told him that the smoking and the drinking both played a part in this.

That said, my point is, the most important thing your son can do is get it looked at. An ENT did a biopsy on my Dad. We knew that afternoon. Time is crucial, as everyone on this board has told me.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Tabitha
Father diagnosed w/Stage 3 Oral Cancer 2/19/03
Treatment yet to begin...