I am 3 years out, and still have those fears everytime I have an unusual "pang" or feel something different in my tongue. I have been convinced several times in the past that the cancer is back (and my drs very concerned) - but it wasn't. I've had enlarged lymph nodes and had FNA's (fine needle aspirations) of them, to find it's nothing. I've had an ulcer on my tongue that one of my docs even admitted to me she thought it was the cancer returning - and it was also benign and disappeared (this was 7 months after my surgery!) So, unfortunately, Gary is right in what he said. The only comfort is that as I experience these things, I realize that MOST of the time it's nothing, so I panic less, but I still always get them checked out if it hasn't gone away in a few days... I think the one good take-away here is that even though you may think it's a recurrence, often it's nothing.