I don't have any of the risk factors either...never smoked, hardly drink. I haven't yet been tested for HPV, so that will be interesting.

I did however have an accident when I was a kid, playing on the foundations of the house my parents were building. I tripped, fell on my face and bit into my tongue badly enough to need stitches. In all the years since, it's occasionally had a irritated, itchy sensation in it. My ENT felt this trauma to the tongue 'could' be the factor that caused the SCC.

Hard to know.

Diagnised 29th Oct 08 (29 years old): SCC, T2N1 - partial glossectomy (25%); flap construction (twice - first one died); neck dissection 8 nodes removed, 1 node positive; trache - 14 days, partially collapsed lung. No radiation at this time.