In my case, a lump was noted on my neck during a pre-op exam for a colonoscopy. Since I was in the middle of a crown, I was sent to my dentist. My dentist said it might be due to an old root canal, so he sent me to get the root canal redone. After the root canal redo and 10 days of antibiotics, the lump was still there, so my GP sent me to get a sonogram. The sonogram didn't seem to help much, so my GP sent me to a H&N surgeon who did a needle biopsy. This ID'd cancer which led to a PET/CT, etc. The entire identification process itself took over 2 months.

If someone along the line had said, "don't worry about it, I don't think it's cancer" I more than likely would have breathed a sigh of relief and glady put it aside. Of course, knowing what I know NOW, I would never do that - but this wisdom comes only after a tough experience.