I have all the risk factors for oral cancer, practically all of them. I drink, I just quit smoking recently, I was diagnosed with genital HPV back in 2000 and I think I acquired it orally at that same time, I rarely eat vegetables, and cancer runs in my family. My grandfather actually died from throat cancer.

At the time I got genital HPV my tonsils swelled up, I got a referral to an ENT, I told him my concerns, he looked in my mouth and told me I was fine. He said it's normal for tonsils to look that way, I asked for a biopsy, he said there was nothing to biopsy.

I looked up oral HPV online and everything I read said it was very hard to get, so I decided to listen to the doctor and just forget about it. Well recently I've been reading new information and it says that oral HPV is not uncommon and is the leading cause of cancer among young people.

I looked in my mouth the other day, checking out my tooth I just had a root canal done on, and I noticed a red bump on my uvula... you know that hangy-ball thing in the back of your throat. I'm FREAKING out. My throat is also sore and has been on and off all winter... I thought maybe it was just the dry weather, but now I am really worried. My chest also keeps hurting on and off. I'm afraid the HPV turned into oropharynx cancer and then that spread to my lungs.

I have an appt. with my primary care doctor Monday to get a referral to an ENT, but I can't stop freaking out until then!

I'm also very angry that the ENT didn't do a biopsy when I asked 8 yrs. ago, there doesn't have to be a wart present in order to find HPV right? I mean they do PAP smears on your cervix and find it when there's no warts. He just didn't want to do it and now I could be dying. My throat hurts as we speak and I am so upset. I touched the spot in my mouth with a q-tip, nothing happened... no bleeding. And now my chest is starting to hurt again!

Also, I was just at the endodontist, why didn't he notice the red spot? Aren't they supposed to look for that stuff or is it just regular dentists that do that? Or do they only look for it when you ask them to?

Please help!