Hello I am very glad to see such a forum where in people can share there experiences.Let me introduce myself.I am 25 year old male living in India.Please forgive me if my english is bad.Three years back my mother she started getting these white and red patches after she got a root canal done.For two years we did different treatment but it dint seem to go away.
Until last year until this dentist referred my mom to a dental college in india having a special division for oral cancer.I was really worried.But the doctor did a check up and she said there was nothing to worry about and asked her to take few medicines and apply one ointment.They din't care to do a biopsy,white patches disappeared other than that there hasnt been any change.She recently started getting cracks on her tongue(geographical tongue).This time also the doc did a check up and gave her oral medicines.the doc said its some kind of skin disease.I am really scared for her.Can this be anything else other than a skin disease?And why isnt the doc suggesting a biopsy for her?

Welcome to OCF. Im hoping you will not need our assistance for your mother. Since our forum is worldwide, we have a few members from India.

Im sorry but I do not know anything about the medical system in your country. If it were here in the US, I would suggest seeking out an ENT. In the US, ENTs are usually the best choice for diagnosing oral cancer patients.

There are many things this could be besides oral cancer. Please understand our group is made up of oral cancer patients and caregivers, not medical professionals so its not easy for any of us to be much help with diagnosing anyone, especially over the internet. One symptom you mentioned doesnt match how oral cancer represents itself. It does not come and go, a topical medicine will not heal a cancerous tumor.

I know many in India will chew on the betel nut which represents a higher risk of having oral cancer. Its important to rule everything out so if your mother uses betel encourage her to stop. By eliminating things to make her mouth worse, it might just help in making it heal (at least I hope so). The cracked tongue could be from any number of things including anemia or a poor diet. Could it be thrush?

If the doctor isnt doing a biopsy they must be fairly certain she doesnt have oral cancer. However, a cancerous tumor needs a biopsy to positively determine what the tumor is. Even the most experienced doctors can only give their best educated guess without a biopsy.

I wish I could help more. Best wishes.

Thanks a lot for your kind words.I just booked an appointment with a dental surgeon who deals with such issues.I will keep you all updated.Its this wednesday.I hope its nothing,I am a little worried.Anyways thank you so much for your kind words it gave me some peace of mind.

Welcome to OCF! You are fortunate to find OCF as it is the best place to connect and get accurate information and experiences from those facing oral cancer.

We aren't doctors but my opinion is this is not cancerous but do get it fully checked. The fact this symptom has been around and treated and even become less visible indicates it is something other than cancer. As far as I know, once a cancer tumor gets going it never retreats on its own. It might hang around and not grow much but I've not heard of someone seeing some cancer it just went away.

A standard saying around here is it is not cancer until proven (by biopsy). Try not to worry. Don