Greetings! I am posting for the first time even though I have visited the forum on and off since I was diagnosed in 2010. I am 44 years old and am HPV negative. I have never smoked and am do not drink alcohol often but I still am an oral cancer survivor. I am now being observed by my local dentist and an oral surgeon for lichen planus. I have a sore and inflamed area on my lower gum tissue that has been there for at least two months. In addition to that, I have multiple spots of white and what the docs are calling "lacy" looking areas on my gums on both the top and bottom of my mouth. They think it is a condition called lichen planus which is debated to be a precondition to oral cancer. They are waiting to biopsy me to see how I progress over the next two weeks. Has anyone developed lichen planus in your mouth and how was it treated? Any thoughts or information would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Welcome to OCF, Karen. Thanks for already having a signature.

Over the years Ive been with OCF, Ive seen a few members who were diagnosed with lichen planus. Some will have it surgically removed while others are monitored with a watch and wait approach. Ive also seen both where it has turned into OC and others who have done the watch and wait approach for extended periods of time as it could return.

OCF main site --- Lichen Planus

Mayo Clinic --- Lichen Planus

Johns Hopkins --- Lichen Planus

Please keep us posted! Best wishes with this.