My mother started complaining of a sore throat in November of 2000. She complained off and on throughout the winter and into the spring, but said it was not constant. No one ever thought of cancer. She didn't mention any spots on her tongue and when it was found it was way on the side in the back. She went to her internist in early April and when he looked at her tongue he marched her right down the hall to an ENT who did a biopsy which came back positive. Turns out my mother had not been to the dentist in over a year. I think she was living right by the river "DENIAL".