Amanda,
I have to agree with you. It isn't right that you should be put off for months. You don't need to apologize - you definitely have valid concerns and you are in the right place. You are a patient on this board. But what the doctors are telling is indeed factual, they don't see many patients presenting with oral cancer in your age group.

Many of us also had a couple of courses of antibiotics (to no effect) before we saw a specialist. Allow me to be more specific here, most us started with GP's or PCP's and went through several courses of antibiotics before even getting a referal to an ENT. The ENT that first looked at me Dx'd me, accurately, within 5 seconds, without a biopsy, strictly based on a visual exam - not even a scope.

I wasn't trying to be facetious when I inquired about your background, but it has to be part of your differential diagnosis. Environmental and genetic conditions have to be taken under consideration. Being exposed to second hand smoke all of your life is an additional risk factor but bear in mind that some here smoked all their life and still didn't develop cancer until their 50's.

We occasionally see other young people here who have also had multiple doctor/specialist visits and were found with nothing, yet were convinced they had cancer. We have also heard of a blown diagnosis when a doctor disallowed the possibility of cancer because of age and statistical profile. Medicine is more of an art than a science and process of elimination is the main diagnostic tool -it is the basis for "differential diagnosis". I have had isolated infections - even fistulas and I felt fine otherwise with no other symptoms.

I would present it as you did to me, that you have a history of cancer in your family and were exposed to second hand smoke all of your life and you are concerned about swollen nodes and no pain. Bear in mind though that swollen nodes would be more symptomatic of a primary (or an occult primary) somewhere else (unless you have lymphoma) besides a simple infection.

If it is lymphoma, blood tests and/or an FNA would reveal it.

Have you had a dental x-ray to rule out your wisdom teeth? You are the perfect age for an infection from impacted wisdom teeth.