I learned long ago that the only stupid questions are the ones that you do not ask. The OCF boards are here for just the purpose that you are putting them to. To help individuals when possible, member of the big C club or not. With any luck we won't have you as a real member in the future. You have a right to be concerned, but let me offer you these observations. The only way to know for sure if you have a SCC is thorough biopsy. Even those with a highly trained eye cannot tell, as there are many other things which occur in the mouth that mimic oral cancers, but are benign. Only a microscopic examination of the cells holds the definitive answer. Another thing on your side is that 75% of those who come to this cancer do so through tobacco use for a prolonged period, which it would appear is not the case with you. And while excessive long-term alcohol consumption is listed in the causative factors, it is not one of the big ones. As I am only slightly familiar with medical practices in the UK, I do not know if there is a mechanism for speeding things up. But certainly getting a biopsy immediately is important (and therefore a diagnosis but not a staging), and this is not an expensive thing to do privately. Any oral surgeon should be able to do it for you on short notice and have the sample taken to a laboratory for analysis. Turnaround time in the US is about 3 days for an answer. Peace of mind might be worth this out of pocket expense. If it does turn out to be something bad, you are already at the head of the line to get into the treatment process. If it is not, then it is that many fewer days to be worried. It's just a thought, but it might sound practical to you.