Hi, I am new here. I have two small <5mm areas of leukoplakia on my tongue that I am having biopsied in about a week. They are on the left lateral/ventral side of my tongue. I am having it done by an oral surgeon and they will be doing an excisional biopsy so they can hopefully get clear margins, whatever the result. I am 32, have NEVER smoked, and drink only occasionally. Still, if it IS cancer, I am confused on a few things. If they get clear margins, will I need further surgery or radiation? Do I need to have a PET scan or a neck dissection to see if the lymph nodes are affected? If they don't get clear margins, how do they decide how much of the tongue they should take?
I know everyone's situation is unique but I was hoping someone could shed some light on the topic. I am also wondering how long I could expect to be out of work? I am of course panicky and fearful all the time and I don't know how to deal with it. Any tips?