@jules26
Your post is fascinating to me because you just described what I went through with a parotid gland tumor. Yes to starting at pea size, yes to getting harder over the years. But I waited 5 years not 10. I also had to wait until I had medical insurance. I had a gut feeling about "the lump" as I called it, when it hardened. I knew it was cancer.

I want to tell you that I had a slow growing cancer, cell type was acinic cell carcinoma. I had a parotidectomy and then they found it had spread onto the side of my face so it was just in time. But because that is Stage II, I went through radiation treatments. This was 30 years ago. The cancer has been in remission.

I worked as an RN in oncology when I got sick. I need to tell you to "research" the 10 Warning Signs of Cancer.
You cannot "ask AI" while you have been living with a lump (a warning sign of cancer) for 10 years. It might help you make priorities around your health if I could tell you that it was much more stressful going through those parotid gland tumor symptoms, than it was to actually go to an ENT surgeon. He touched the gland and told me, I believe you have a tumor. Surgery was scheduled.

I went to Stanford Medical Center with a good doctor who I trusted. Before I saw him another doctor sent me for a biopsy. What I learned at Stanford is the parotid gland is a complex gland and cannot be biopsied! accurately. If a doctor tells you that you need surgery, at this point I really encourage you to listen.

I hope you check back here after January 6th! You can pm me here is you want to.