Hey,

I'm new here, but I've been frantically searching the internet for information about mouth cancer. This is because I recently felt a small lump at the back of my mouth. It doesn't hurt and its a shade of dark red, what could it be? Also, I read that you can get earache as a sympton of mouth cancer, well I've visited my GP twice with problems with my ear, my hearing fades and I get pain sometimes. I've been smoking for about a month now, not heavily at all. Could any of this be linked or is it nothing to worry about?

I would really appreciate some information from anyone who knows what they're talking about.

Thank you,

Cat.

Cat,
get yourself to an ENT as soon as possible, and get a proper medical diagnosis. The only way to definitively determine if a lump is cancerous is through biopsy. Any lump in your mouth that lasts more than 2 weeks is worthy of concern.

The internet is a great resource for a lot of things, but it is NOT at all useful for diagnosing a disease, especially one as deadly as this.

Get to the Doctor, as soon as possible
Wayne

Thank you Wayne,

I'll take your advice.
What were your symptons? This lump I have is very small, I'm only 16 is it as common in younger people as it is in adults?

Cat.

My cancer first evidenced itself as an abcessed tooth; it was only after the tooth was removed that the tumor was visible.

Oral cancers are most common in folks your parents age (like me), however it isn't unheard of in young people. In fact, it appears to be occurring more frequently at younger ages.

There are many things it could be other than cancer. Make an appointment with an ENT and find out for sure
Wayne

Ok, will do. Thanks Wayne.

Hi Cat,

Just so you know, there are many naturally occuring lumps in the mouth, that are normal and of no concern. You only said that the lump is in the back of your mouth. Where? On the tongue? On the tonsil? On the palate?

First of all STOP smoking!!!

Second of all, go to a doctor!!! No one here can tell you what you have. It must be looked at.

The sooner you get checked, the sooner you will know what is going on. The odds are in your favor as at 16 it is unlikely that you have cancer.

Please let us know the results of your examination.

Jerry