I am 31 years old and soon to be graced with twin boys arriving in approximately a month. Their arrival has given me a new perpective on my mortality and I want to live a healthy and tobacco/alcohol free life that they deserve. I have always been a relatively heavy drinker and have used smokeless tobacco for approximately 7 years. I would estimate my use as twice a week. About a month ago I had felt what I believed to be enlarged parotid salivary glands on my left and right cheek. A canker sore formed on those which subsided within a week and a half. However, I could still feel them when I would move my tongue. Recently I have had a relatively sore throat and some minor jaw and muscle pain in my face. I also have seen 5 or six very small red bumps on the sides of my tongue. However, judging from other pictures, I don't have any advanced Leukoplakia or Erythroplakia. I have eliminated tobacco use and have reduced my alcohol consumption to 6-8 drinks a week. I have also noticed a few red bumps on my tongue. I know that my anxiety and stress level are not helping the situation and have scheduled an immediate dentist appt for as soon as I retun from a week long business trip. I do grind my teeth during sleep and have been a habitual nail biter. I am fearful that I am exhibiting symptoms indicative of oral cancer. I am certainly not asking for medical advice, but curious to know the opinions of others that might have exhibited similar symptoms. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to OCF. Congrats on the twins arriving soon.

With what you are describing, its a wise decision to see the dentist. Does your dentist do a complete oral cancer screening? You may also want to go a step further and schedule an appointment with an ENT (ear, nose and throat specialist) to take a look.

The only way to tell if its oral cancer is thru a biopsy. That would be done if the doc thinks what you have looks suspicious. Having a biopsy done can be quite a scary experience. Pain wise its not too bad. It takes about a week to get the results.

Glad to see you have quit the tobacco habit. Not trying to preach, but alcohol should be eliminated as well. If mortality is something you are concerned about then leading a healthy lifestyle will help you live much longer. Im a long time former smoker myself and know its not easy to give up our vices.

Hope your worries turn out to be nothing at all. My advice is to relax and not let worry overtake your mind. You have a miracle happening soon (actually two miracles), enjoy these moments. Please post an update to let us know the results. Best wishes for a bright future for you and your new family.

You are right about the alcohol as well and that also needs to be a course of action. My loving wife and my boys will certainly be enough to do that. I feel like I am being proactive and trying to have a clinician determinine the results ASAP. I believe my dentist is able to conduct a full oral cancer screen. I had a checkup and cleaning in July of last year and there were no signs of concern. I do hope that it turns out to be a solveable situation and the scare alone has given me vision to change some of my destructive habits. However, if it truly is cancer; I hoipe I am ready for the fight.
Thank you and I am always open to hearing other stories. I will let you all know when I receive the results.

Raven, you should relax (some). Oral cancers are relatively rare, and even though you use tobacco and alcohol your age would still statistically put you in a very small statistical odds group. In other words this probably is not cancer.. Do see the dentist (because that is easy) but to be sure get a visit with a Ear Nose and Throat ENT doctor. Stop smoking (for your children if not for yourself)

I, like Mark, believe that you should schedule an appt with a "qualified" ENT. I mean ask his receptionist if he regularly sees Oral Cancer patients. If they hesitate with their response, call someone else. IMO not many dentists are good at detecting oral cancer signs.

Good luck and keep us posted.

As others have said, many dentists will send you on to somebody more specialized in detection of cancer. In my case my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon, who performed a biopsy and discovered the cancer that way.
I have a radiology oncologist and a medical oncologist, but my 'primary' doc is an ENT who specializes in H/N cancers. The oral surgeon who confirmed my cancerous diagnosis referred me to him. Other's routes are different (in terms of what types of docs or specialists they see and in what order), that's just how mine went down.

Raven,

I think it is a good idea you are having this checked out. I hope it is nothing but it's always better to be safe than sorry. You mentioned you hope you are ready to handle cancer if that is what it turns out to be. You will be. We all find a way to deal with it. It's not always easy but the people are so amazing, and that is a great start.

Keep us posted

Hi. Welcome ! My suggestion would be to see an ENT doctor asap. Don't put it off. Make the appointment and let us know the outcome. It's probably nothing, but get it over with, so you can relax and enjoy those twins. Keep us posted. We care. Claudia

You have choices -- You can worry about it for a few weeks, driving yourself insane with what-ifs, then get it done and know the results, having accomplished not much beyond letting whatever it is grow, OR; you can get it done now, skip some worry and skip some growth -- Make a choice!