Chery and Kim, you need a referral to an ENT and that as we all know here in Canada can take 4-8 months!! The $104- charge from the oral surgeon is pretty good! Dissappointed though that they cant see you till October! (Are you in a rural area??)

I had my first tongue biopsy a week after my doctor referred me to an oral surgeon. The cost was over $300- came back as moderate dysplasia (lychen planus) 2009

I was then refered to the Oral Cancer Screening Clinic (part of BC Cancer Agency) in Vancouer where I was living and was followed up every 3 months after that. Jump ahead to 2011 and I moved to Calgary where they have no Provincial Oral Cancer Screening Program (stoopid!) Took 8+ months to find a family doctor and get a referral to an ENT, I have one now and he took a biopsy Sept 2(it had been a year since my last one) and its now positive for 'superficial cancer'. Surgery booked next week. I guess that means stage 1.

So Kim, get the biopsies done ASAP and pay the $$ then you will get the referals to an ENT or Screening Program in your area for follow/up... Listen to your gut instincts.

Tracy Dx @ age 47
Single No dependants
NS/Social ETOH
Clinical Study (early detection)
Dx July/09 Mod. Dysplasia (lichen planus)
Dx Sept/11 TisN0M0 SSC Lt Tongue
Sx Oct/11 CO2 Laser Glossectomy
Sx Mar/12 Release of tongue anchoring (Skin graft)
Lingual Nerve Damage