Hi

Im 47, male never smoker.

I noticed a lump on the side of the gum of my 2nd lower right molar 3 weeks ago. At first i thought it was an ulcer but it was in a strange place on my gum that i dont normally get ulcers. As i was also getting tooth ache in that same molar, i booked in to see my dentist. The dentist did a tooth xray and couldnt see any absess and said the tooth was fine. She was a little concerned about the lesion which had started to get a depression in the centre but she told me to come back in a few weeks. I also pointed out a lump (again on the right side) that is attached to my alveolar ridge. She said it looked like a torus but im pretty sure its new and is only on one side.

Last weekend the lesion felt solid inside and it was then i noticed it was actually bone i could feel in the hole. The bone felt mobile and with very little prying it came out.....a piece of my jaw!!
I havent had any extraction near there. No wisdom teeth or anything. Its definitely a fragment of jaw bone. It was precisely in line with my jaw line like it had just cone away from the top.

The lesion hasnt changed and neither has the gnawing toothache. In the last few days i have now developed a pain in the right of my jaw. Its a dull debilitating pain that has kept me awake and is worse when i lay of that size. The jaw pain is directly below the lesion and im also getting a pain under my chin in the soft tissue area. I cant tell if my nodes are up.

I have had oral worries in the past. My last thread made on here was a worry about my palette (which thankfully was ok) but something definitely feels wrong here.

The lesion wont heal at all and the constant jaw pain is affecting everything as i cant sleep or concentrate in anything. These last four days the pain has been getting steadily worse each night and i still have almost a week before i see the dentist again and then 2 weeks before i can get an urgent referral to see an oral specialist. I darent think of the pain by then.

So im more than a little worried this may be a tunour or even cancer.

Im pretty sure the lesion hasnt been there long so if it was scc of the mouth, could it have grown into the jaw that quickly?

I realise jaw tumours/cancer is very rare but im worried it could also be that. Would a primary cancer manifest as a small lesion in my mouth. Also would a tumour/cancer in my jaw cause a piece to break off?.

Something that is more common is mets to my jaw so im also a little concerned it could be mets from a cancer elsewhere. An unknown primary. But surely i would have felt the primary cancer first wouldnt you agree?

Looking at cancer research uk it states lungs, prostate, colon kidney and liver frequently mets to mandibular. I had a chest xray a few years ago and all clear. 2.5 years ago i had a colonoscopy and endoscopy all clear. I had a prostate exam a few years ago all clear. I have a fatty liver so liver is ulttasound every six months all clear. I know 2 years is a long time for cancer but the tumours would have had to grow and spread pretty quickly and im getting no symptoms from any. Would you agree or am i clutching at straws.

I know it could be a multitude of things but i
m scared stiff it could be one of these ->

1) oral scc grown into jaw
2) primary jaw cancer
3) mets from an unknown cancer
4) dead area of jaw thats decaying causing fragments to come away.

If its mets from a different primary then it seems its basically a death sentence. Thats the one i really dont want it to be as i wont even stand a chance and probably wont last the year..

I just cant believe the pain im in. Ive never felt this constant pain like it. All this in the space of 2 weeks. Surely cancer doesnt get this painful so quickly.

Sorry for all the questions but im sat here at 3.30am with a debilitating jaw pain that wont stop and im getting more symptoms each day. I know i jump to conclusions easily especially with cancer but this jaw pain just wont go away.

Any advice/ discussion would be greatly appreciated .