Hello Johnny 1985,

Welcome to the forums, and sorry to hear you are experiencing a possible cancer scare.

My cancer diagnosis pathology report took almost 3 weeks, as I recall. I believe my biopsy was like Dec 15 and the doctor called me January 2nd.

That was done a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) hospital, with in house pathology.

It seems a tad odd they would the say the pathologist was sending it to another "specialist" and then tell you it was because they suspected cancer. Sorry for that extra layer of anxiety.

Seems like if they wanted to hold of an a questionable diagnosis they would not bother telling you anything until it was definitive.

Here is hoping the "specialist" can say it is something besides cancer.

5 years before my cancer diagnosis, the oral surgeon who took my first ever biopsy, he was himself an oral cancer survivor, whom his regular dentist found his jaw cancer on a regular dental X-Ray for regular periodic dental maintenance.

Anyway that Oral Surgeon, who had his own stand alone medical practice, was insistent that my biopsy tissue sample be sent to a very specific oral pathology center, he didn't care if my insurance would pay or not, it was this one or nothing. (Apparently he had bad experiences with other pathology labs, and new this other one from his personal cancer experience and his professional practice experience.)

I was like, sure Doc, whatever you say, we have a few extra nickels to rub together, and it wasn't going to be massively expensive even in worse case scenario if we had to pay it all out of pocket. (Our insurance ended up covering it just fine).

He did not think the small white lesion was anything to be concerned about, but did it as it had not healed in a few months and had already been past the standard 2-3 weeks, if it doesn't heal biopsy it rule of thumb.

This highly regarded pathology lab, sent the report back and it said the tissue contained moderate epithelial dysplasia, with a whole bunch of diagnostic descriptions and justifications.

That 1st oral surgeon then sent me out to another oral surgeon who specialized in cancer and pre-cancerous conditions.

If you are in the US, I would start researching your nearest Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) and maybe even call their patient coordinators now (assuming you are not currently being treated at a CCC if they are sending the pathology out for a second opinion...) and tell them what is going on to kind of grease the skids a little in preparation for the biopsy report, which if they are saying maybe is cancer, and are doing an in house 2nd opinion, you may want your own 3rd opinion even if "the specialist" says it is NOT cancer.

If it is something that is potentially pre-cancerous, I'd still see if a CCC could get you set up as an established patient.

The CCC that found my cancer is a fine institution, and the best one in my state, but there is a closer one to me in our neighboring state, that has a much stronger oral cancer program, more depth of field, and access to truly world class technology, expertise, research, and treatments.

My CCC Oral surgeon who did the 2nd biopsy that found the cancer, when he called me to tell me the lesion, that he also did not suspect was anything to be worried about, was actually cancer, he was very gracious and happy to refer me out to this other Hospital system. He was going to have me do a consult with his in house ENT Oncology Surgeon to get wider margins around the tumor scar and scope my throat and all that, and I said if it was all right, I had already in my mind decided if that I ever received an actual oral cancer diagnosis I'd seek treatment at this other place.

Thankfully I was able to meet with the new hospitals Oncology ENT surgeon I think within 48 hours of that phone call.

One of the first things he did was send for the pathology cassettes (slides or whatever they are called, the fixed specimens...) so that THEIR in house pathology could lay eyes on the tissue and see for themselves what they thought before scheduling me for general surgery for a (very) partial glossectomy.

The tissue was sent to this other CCC's pathology lab, and they concurred with the micro-invasive squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis. I think I had to wait like 45 days for the surgery to be scheduled. That was a LONNNNNNG 45 days.

Sorry the waiting sucks, the not knowing sucks, but as many of the OCF veterans around here will remind us "It's not cancer until it's cancer", and while they rattled your nerves telling you they are sending it to someone else because they think it likely is, they still have not given you the definitive diagnosis yet.

Again, if I were you, I'd be like if this is such a photo finish pathology call, let's get a CCC pathologist and CCC Oral Surgeon or ENT Surgeon for a second opinion, and to follow you closely if it's something other than a totally benign condition.

The CCC may even decide to order imagery or to do another type of biopsy in order to make a diagnosis.

I hope that helps, and that those options are available to you and are convenient enough to make happen.

Best wishes,

Sincerely,

Chris