Hi Tami,
I can only speak from my own experience with tongue SCC. I had a brother that was diagnosed with Stage 3 tongue Scc in 1985, He fought hard but lost his battle in 1990. I had a small pinpoint lesion develope on the right side of my tongue in the fall of 1998 about 1 year after I had quite smoking. I saw the Dr. when it did not go away in 3-4 weeks and she promptly sent me to an ENT just becaause of the family history. The ENT scheduled me for a biopsy even though he thought it was nothing-again due to the family history. It did turn out to be nothing.

However,5 years later, I developed a lump on the same site and again saw the Dr. in a timely fashion. She sent me on to a brand new Otholarengologist in our city who immediately scheduled me for surgury to have the lump and margins removed for biopsy. She informed me that Head and Neck cancers seem to have a strong genetic link. I never knew this but that is what she said. It did turn out to be SCC of the right lateral tongue but margins were clear and I was left for screening every 3 months-just visual with yearly chest X-ray and liver enzyme screens.

This was ok until in 2004 Sept there were visual changes noted and again I was taken to the OR for biopsy and Panendoscopy. Pathology showed mild dysplesia. May 2005 more changes noted so I had a punch biopsy under a local, showed Severe Dysplesia, followed by another punch biopsy in Aug 2005 that showed Cancer in Situ.

I was then referred to the Head and Neck Oncology Center in London Ont. on Sept 8/05 and had surgery on Sept20/05. I had a hemi-glossectomey, right neck dissection, and a radial left-forearm free flap reconstruction. I am still awaiting my pathology reports (Oct 20) to see if I need RT, Chemo, both or neither.

Now the Drs. have recommended that my other 2 sibs have screenings by an ENT and that their Dental healthcare professionals be notified that these events have taken place as their risk factors are higher to develope Oral Cancer. They have also been advised that any changes or sores that they feel in their mouths should be checked out if they do not heal on their own after 3 weeks time.

I hope that this info has helped you out.

Betsy