Happy New Year Everyone!,

Well my oral surgeon went ahead and did the re-biopsy (well adjacent to the old area, 2nd biopsy, wasn't quite on the scar area of the old) on Dec 14, 2023.

It was actually a pleasant experience! He had the magic touch. I was anxious. I guess maybe he took a smaller sample and didn't go so deep or something. My first biopsy was very rough the first 20 seconds waiting on the lidocaine to kick in. Both were great doctors. Very slight pain, less than a bee sting this time. The first time I was smelling colors, and hearing tastes, until the lidocaine kicked in.

It did go to the hospitals general pathology lab.

Today he called me with the results:

A - Tongue, right lateral, excision:
- Focal microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma.

Focal and Micro-invasive are adjectives that seem quite in my favor.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma not so much.

So I am very grateful for this my States flagship teaching University Hospital in getting this initial diagnosis. They are NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, but don't have in house oral pathology.

I had already decided in my mind after reading a bunch of peoples collective wisdom in these forums and advice and such that the second a malignancy was mentioned I'd go straight away to the nearest Comprehensive Cancer Center on the OCF's listing with a stronger oral cancer program (from what I gathered on here).

I am very thankful for the great quality care in general in New England, but this other one is near the top of the list worldwide.

Plus despite it being in the adjacent State to our South, it is closer to a one hour drive, than the two hour drive.

(Sorry I think I remember reading some guidelines about speaking generally not naming doctors and institutions, I have great respect for all of them so far, but seems like a good protocol not to insult folks or give offense)

I called this other CCC up this morning minutes after my oral surgeon gave me the report, and he was happy to refer me to whichever organization I was inclined to go with, and honestly drive time is big consideration too.

The new CCC team got my files and sent it to their case intake triage team and said I should hear back from them by the end of the day. Less than 2 hours later, maybe an hour (time was spinning with my head) they had called me back saying triage said to schedule me with the first available surgeon for consultation, and that was 48 hours later. So this Thursday my wife and I are going to meet this next doctor to find out what the biopsy report means.

It was very sparse on details, unlike my "Moderate Epithelial Dysplasia" Pathology report in another thread on here. (That'd be this thread, copied from my other thread about recurrance, but figured it fits this thread too, and being the OP figured it made sense).

So I am thinking the new doctor on the cancer team will likely try to get the tissue re-assessed by oral pathology, and/or expand the biopsy and order more studies and such.

I am glad for the advise folks offered "BIOPSY IT" and the like, LOL. "Just do it" (again...) more or less.

I am also glad for the vigilance reading others stories on here has instilled in me and my doctors, and the original dentist who found this lesion 5 years ago. "Uh, oh what is this?" (and me talking despite my tongue being held in gauze, replying in mumbled puzzlement "what is what?!?!" (imagine that in "tongue tied speak").

That's all of my update for now. I'll update more when I find out more this Thursday 1/04/2024.