Here are some interesting (but potentially dangerous) observations from my friend Mark Lingen who is a research oral pathologist from the university of Chicago. Fact: only about 25% of a leukoplakia converts to malignancy. Of course the path to that is a midway point of cellular abnormality called. dysplasia. There are low grade, mid grade, and high grade dysplasias, with the most dangerous being the last. But considering ALL dysplasias, only 25% convert to malignancy. While these little pathology world pearls are interesting, all cellular changes need to be monitored and biopsied. My personal preference is if possible they should be removed as pre-cancers and not watched an monitored. This does not mean that a person who one removed (as the previous posters have stated) will not have continued cellular tissue changes, and they do not necessarily stop recurring. This is particularly true if an antagonist continues, such as smoking, resulting in smokers dysplasia.

Jackie, did you get the telephone numbers I sent to you? Just in case the answer is no, here they are again.....THe Cancer Center at Ohio State is 800-293-5066 .. Dr Enver Ozers office is 614-293-8074.. He is supposedly one of the world's best Oncologist.. I hopoe this helps.

Thank you for the phone numbers. I have an ENT appt. here in Dayton for May 18th. This Dr. is supposed to be very good, trained at Ohio State. It's the earliest that I could get in to any ENT. I will see what he has to say and go from there. Ohio State is still an option, I talked to them today on the phone and they were very helpful. I saw my dentist today and he freaked me out by saying that he wanted me to be seen right away and not to wait until May 18th.I guess I have no choice but to wait. Ohio State couldn't get me an appt. any sooner either. We'll see. jackie

THey will take you as soon as possible about anywhere. The longest wait I had was maybe 2 days and at OSU it was 3 because it was Friday when we 1st talked. Good luck and Got ya in my prayers.

Welcome Jackie. I had 13 tongue biopsies done for precancerous lesions during and after I was getting Remicade for my arthritis. My ENT took it very seriously. Stopped the Remicade and for the last year I am clean. I still have to see him every 4 mo for check-ups. I do have cancer now but its entirely different. I was really shocked when they told me I have a rare salivary cancer. I would have guessed tongue cancer. My biggest fear is that it could metast... to my tongue or floor of mouth. Good luck.