Even when my tumor was very visible (and painful), I was told several times over a period of 2-3 years by a GP, a dentist, and finally an oral pathologist that it couldn't possibly be anything serious. (The pathologist wasn't actually looking at any test results -- he was going on the basis of my non-smoking, social drinking history.) I know my oral surgeon (who did the biopsy that diagnosed the cancer) contacted the other doctors to tell them what they had missed.

My husband is an attorney and on a few occasions after my treatment ended he mentioned that he had considered suing at least one of them, but in light my good recovery, he abandoned the idea.

Cathy