Tracey, here's how Brian answered me more than two years ago when I asked about dysplasia:
[quote]Dysplasia are those cells which are no longer normal, but they are not really malignant yet ... an in-between state, so to speak. Dysplasias also do not always go completely over to the dark side, but they are a step in that direction ... and having them removed, or watched very regularly, is prudent. Dysplastic leukoplakias can often return after surgical removal, many times done with a laser, sometimes via a blade excision. Keep an eye on things even after the removal from now until forever.[/quote]
In my husband's case, the pathology report of the initial biopsy by an oral surgeon (which returned a diagnosis of moderate dysplasia) warned of a possible "skip effect," meaning that cancer cells could be in areas that were not part of the biopsy. He had an excisional biopsy of the whole area of concern several weeks later and was diagnosed with SCC in situ, with a tiny bit superficially invasive -- the very earliest stage. He has required no further treatment but is checked regularly.

As Brian noted in his post, most dysplasias do not turn malignant. But you do need to keep on top of this and see an ENT -- preferably one who specializes in oral cancer -- if you notice any changes.

-- Leslie