Meg,

I had an abnormal spot on the left side of my tongue that gradually got larger and eventually became painful. Over the course of a couple of years and numerous office visits, I was told by three different doctors (dentist, GP, oral pathologist) that it was nothing to be concerned about because I had never smoked. I finally found an oral surgeon who recognized the symptoms, performed a biopsy and referred me to an oncology team that concluded I needed both surgery and radiation. The surgery involved removing a portion of the left side of my tongue, along with many lymph nodes in the neck. Radiation consisted of about 7 weeks of external beam treatment followed by a radiation implant in my tongue for about 30 hours. Long-term effects have included some impact on my speech, and dry mouth (from radiation) that can cause difficulty eating and swallowing from time to time and requires frequent dental checkups.

Cathy