HI there - I had a very similar cancer to yours. It sounds like they are moving quickly which is great.

I hope you are being seen at a CCC and by someone who does oral cancer all the time (not all ENTs are made the same) I am only saying this because what they do now in terms of treatment can make a big difference down the road.

I'm not writing this to scare you. I want you to be empowered. Knowledge is key.

Let me explain. Most people - even ENTs go... okay... small tumor - lets remove it. done. go on your way. you're cured.

Sometimes this works great. More often than not, though, it's a false sense of security.

Any ENT who does this cancer exclusively and all the time knows it's a tricky beast. Most ENTs won't rely only on a scan even if it's tiny and appears to be superficial, because most experienced ENTs who know this cancer know that even if it doesn't show up on a scan doesn't mean it hasn't migrated to your nodes on a cellular level, and may not be visible on a scan.

This cancer can be very aggressive. My ENT insisted on removing not only the tumor, but also selective nodes in my neck to confirm it hadn't spread. ( I had a clear MRI and CT - and still had a node that not only was cancerous, but had burst and spread out into the surrounding tissue - because of that he sent me for rads and chemo - after surgery) So if you aren't at a CCC get to one. At this point a dentist should only be involved if they are removing teeth or examining you prior to radiation and chemo.

Assuming the ulceration is in your mouth not a tumor down your throat, surgery is the first line of defense with a follow up of rads and chemo if necessary based on the final biopsy after surgery. Hugs and blessings to you.

Again I don't want to scare you I want to make you aware that this is a tricky cancer and needs to be treated speed and proper care by a very knowledgeable individual.

hugs.
and welcome