Hi Leslie -
The other Leslie is correct in that my husband also has been battling mouth sores which turn to SCC, since early 2002. As Leslie mentioned, he has had 4 cancers. He has had surgeries all 4 times, going thru a neck dissection the first time (all nodes clear), losing 3 teeth, and his jaw was shaved. The last one was a mild "in situ" on his lip, however. Because all the margins were clear each time, all scans showed no "hot spots", and most were "superficial" cuz they were caught early, he has never gone thru rads/chemo either. His mouth sores, however, all seem to be tied in with continuing lichen planus and possible leukoplakia. He is monitored constantly, both in our town and up at Shands in Gainesville, Florida. His last 3 biopsies all were benign. He will be seeing a specialist in January, up in Gainesville, who may offer some treatment against the mouth sores. He uses "Dukes Mouth Wash" (prescription) and has found cranberry juice very soothing for his mouth. He rarely has pain associated with the lesions. How many surgeries have you had? His ENT here mentioned a patient of his who has had dozens of surgeries for SCC over many years. So there are people who experience recurrences many times, but they seem to be a rare but legitimate group. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.
(and THANKS Leslie B for your excellent memory!) Warmly, JaneP