Hi PJ. The ENT most likely reached his diagnosis based on the clinical presentation and hopefully some previous investigations. There is no way of saying for sure that this pain is related to the SCC. It’s not uncommon for people who have/had cancer to associate symptoms with a malignancy. It is important to remember that many other non-cancerous conditions can arise. However, you could be correct and this could be related to the tumor. You should seek a second opinion from another ENT, go to your family doctor for another referral or consult with your oncologist about your concerns.

Hi Linda. This could be an infection following the dental procedure and the swelling under the ear could also be another swollen lymph node related to that infection. Your current symptoms may have nothing to do with the previous salivary gland stones although it is possible that it did recur. Speak to your dentist about it.