RE: Could this be cancer?

No one here can tell you what is wrong;  for that you need to see a doctor face-to-face. It's always possible but also highly unlikely that you have cancer.  The best thing to do is get to a doctor.  An ENT is good, but your primary care will do for a first visit.  Get it checked out, and then keep an eye on it if, as I suspect, the doctor tells you that it's something benign. Symptoms prior to diagnosis vary widely from one person to another.  I had a persistent lump below my ear that was hard, mobile, and painless.  But I was also much older than you. Best of luck to you. Susan