Beth, his age indeed indicates something else amiss other than cancer, and I know it is hard not to worry.

Not meant to burden or scare you, but my Dad's ENT missed his base of tongue tumor repeatedly. It's a similar cancer to Michael Douglas's who had the same experience.

Beth--and others: Not all ENTs are created alike OR have the same experience/high tech equipment to spot things. (This goes for dentists as well, it is GREAT to have the OC exam but they are not all OC trained or experts.) *IF* you do not get to a concrete answer and plan immediately, consider a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) evaluation which has made the difference in several of my OCF boardie's lives.

Trust all will be fine!