I'm sorry about your father, Jessie, and I'm sure it adds to your worries, but agree with what Donna said. There are many things that can cause your ailments anywhere from a tooth infection, abcess, ear pain, tinnitus, TMJ. Good luck with the results, and you did the right thing by getting it checked out. Whatever the outcome, if you are smoker, stopping will reduce your risks, complications, delay in healing for any form of treatment, even non cancerous ones. Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, SCC, 90 percent, and this is due to environmental exposure, social behavior, and viruses. Heredity is not thought to be a factor, although genetics are being looked into.