Well maybe the answer is an annual visit to an ENT, just like women get annual pap smears. Early detection should be done by experts. There needs to be an entire screening protocol developed for early detection, complete with appropriate reimburement from the insurance companies. Maybe something similar to a PSA test for the saliva to indicate a more substantial screening. This is a stealthy cancer for most of us.

For the longest time I felt that there was some false sense of hope that my dentist was giving me about the tumor, but I don't honestly think that that he would blue sky me - it was simple inexperience on his part. He's a dentist for God's sake - not an ENT or Head & Neck surgeon.
Even my doctor didn't know what it was. I might as well have asked my mechanic. It took the ENT about 3 microseconds to Dx it - and that didn't even include the biopsy.

Like Brian, I would like to see better training for those frequently in your mouth but face it - the tonsils aren't visible and neither is the base of the tongue. It takes specialized equipment and medical training. The visible cancers, i.e., under the tongue, etc. seem to be in the vast minority here, with the exception of the tobacco chewers.

And yes my dentist DID feel horrible about it - he gave me the dental trays and an extra free cleaning a year for a while. He's a great dentist. I dragged my feet going to the ENT also so I take full responsibility for my role in this.

Jerry, I'm not really down on dentists - It was actually a dentist at an AA meeting who told me that I really needed to get to an ENT because my symptoms and lack of pain were very troubling.

It just took me a few years to process it.

Since life is a terminal illness anyway maybe we should just sue God.