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 .

Yorky, Im sorry you have had another scare and have returned to our site. On your last thread, you were given many great pieces of advice from many of our members, myself included. I strongly recommend going back and rereading your entire thread from your original post and all the replies. One of the most common phrases we have is .... Any sore that has been in your mouth for 2 weeks or longer that does not resolve itself should be checked by a professional. By the term professional, you should see an ENT who specializes in treating OC patients. That type of ENT should be the most versed with identifying potentially cancerous sores. You do NOT want the type of ENT who primarily puts tubes in childrens ears. A biopsy will determine exactly what the lesion is and if its cancerous.

As far as being in pain, many cancer patients do NOT have pain which is why its so common for late stage diagnosis. My own tumor caused me no discomfort at all which is why I was unaware of the lesion. As far as your pain goes, you need to take care of that and get it under control as soon as possible. Being in pain does not do one positive thing for any patient. Its actually harmful making everything more difficult for the patient.

Im sorry but the questions you are asking are best answered by your medical professionals. Since our site is made up of patients/survivors and caregivers we simply are not qualified to answer those types of questions. Im sorry but we do not have years of medical schooling, patients studies, clinical practice, or your medical history so we are unqualified to help as much as we would like to. Hopefully what you have going on is nothing serious.

Wishing you all the very best!

Thanks Christine

I have re-read the old thread and totally agree with you and what was said. Its that i just feel very lonely at the moment. I just dont know what to do or where to turn. Im thinking of calling a depression helpline run by the nhs. Any other suggestions?

I just feel upset all the time. Im having pains in my back and abdomen right where the kidneys are so im scared stiff this involves them. I also have dark urine. I stupidly read that kidneys can mets to the mandible so i cant that the thought out of my head. I just worry that this is the best im going to ever feel and everything including pain is just going to get worse if this is a mets from my kidneys to my jaw.

Im trying not to get too worked up about this until i have a definite answer but its proving hard.

Im booked back at the dentists this week so will ask for an urgent referral to the max dept

Things have changed in the last few days. The lump is still sore and my jaw still hurts but Ive developed a numbness around we my lower right lip, cheek and chin area. Its a strange feeling like just when my anesthetic is beginning to wear off after a filling. More of my alveolar gum area has began to swell too and when i touch my gum its like its not mine as it has a strange feeling to it and is definitely a more rougher texture than the left side. I still cant decide if the swelling is gingiva or actual jaw underneath thats swollen.


Half of me cant wait for the referral as the unknown is killing me and the other half is scared stiff of what they will find. The dentist wanted another 2 weeks to see if the lesion healed but its not worked so tomorrow she will refer.. In the uk the max dept aims to see urgent referal in 2 weeks of dentist referring. Lets hope i get mine with the aim time.

I am so scared of dying. I watched my mum and dad die and it was horrible. My fear all my life is not being able to breathe. I dont like enclosed spaces for this reason. I have prayed many times this last week.
I've asked that he let me be ok. I have so many things i want to do. I am not ready but if this is kidney cancer with distant mets to my jaw i wont have long.....

Has anyone else had any mets to their jaw? Ive read its very rare.

All this has happened so quickly. 3 weeks ago i was having my 6 monthly check up. Then all this has happened. The pain, the lumps and the numbness in my bottom lip. Pains in my back and abdomin. Ive got the classic signs but with distant spread already so incurable.

The lumps in my mouth is definitely growing. Each day im noticing the gum is changing. The alveolar ia changing from gum to something different. On my left side i can feel the bumps from the roots of my teeth. The right side now has no bumps from my teeth. Its definitely thicker and ainful. I have a scary feeling it will ulcerate in a few days.

Yorky,

I would just like to share with you something a friend said recently about living for today -- you see, there is nothing we can do about yesterday, it is over and done with; no one knows what is going to happen tomorrow what is left to us is to focus on today and really LIVE it. Living in fear of living and blaming ourselves or others for what we/they did is not living. I hope this helps but it will require a change in your mindset.

Yorky, Gloria is sooooo right! Live for today!!! Do your very best to avoid wasting your day away by staring at your mouth in the mirror and fretting about dying from an illness you do not even know if you have. Especially when several medical professionals discounted a cancer diagnosis. If you are unable to get past these fears you will need to seek out a mental health professional to help you manage everything you have written here. Our site has some very very sick members, some are terminal and many very good people over the years have passed away from oral cancer and complications from it or treatments.

I understand being lonely, feeling misunderstood and isolated are big issues you have but those things should be able to be managed with a therapist and anxiety medications. I feel our site is not the right one for you to express your concerns. We are not medical professionals, we are a group for patients and caregivers who have oral cancer. I must not spend any more time on this when Ive already given you all the best avenues I can think of to get the help you need. Months ago many other members, myself included pointed you in the right direction to get whatever help from medical professionals you needed. Its a very unusual situation when we are unable to help someone. Your issues are well beyond the scope of something our group can assist with. I do not mean to brush you off or come across as being stern or uncaring, Im the most caring, understanding, compassionate person you will ever know. My attention is needed by others here who are very sick and fighting for their lives in a real fight of a beast we call oral cancer. Im sorry but I must ask you to find alternative sites for help. Your situation is beyond the scope of what we can assist you with.

Wishing all the very best with everything, especially wishing you a happy, healthy future.

You need to see a regular doctor about the back/kidney issues, too. Or at least take some cranberry pills or something. (Those work surprisingly well to stave off impending infections, but you STILL want to follow that up with a trip to your doctor, trust me, especially if it's been going on for a while.) I only suggest the infection because if you're panicking, you're likely dehydrating yourself (or at least, I do that), and that can lead to infection. Might as well deal with it. No, I am NOT a doctor. Just had some experience with that particular issue.

I'm really late to this thread, so I have no idea what else you may have done in between. Did you ever get an appointment, and an answer? I hope it was a good answer.