Hi, I'm a junior in high school and I recently noticed a lump in my mouth and it hurts a bit. I've been smoking ciggarettes for about a year and a half. I also smoked marijuana frequently and drank alcohol a couple of times. I looked up the symptoms of oral cancer and it sounded like I had a couple of them. A sore in my mouth, a whitish patch, and also my two top front teeth are making a small gap between them. I took off my braces about a year ago. Can anyone tell me if its possible that I have oral cancer at 16? Thanks in advance

WOW!!! I am glad you found the site and decided to get on. Oral cancer in the upper maxilla is rare. I am one of the few on here to have it. I am wondering if you notice that one or both of the teeth where the space is are darker than the others. In my case one of the teeth was dying and getting dark. I am also wondering how long you have noticed this stuff? I hate to say but anything is possible, especially with a rare form of oral cancer. I was low risk but got it at 31. If you have noticed these for a couple weeks I would suggest making an appt with a maxillofacial oral surgeon for a biopsy. If you cannot get in soon you can explain to them you need a biopsy and see if they can get you in sooner. They are usually pretty good.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me by private message or email.

Well its only been about a week and I know its still too early to know for sure. I'm a little weary of telling my parents this because they don't know I smoke or drink. I decided to stop smoking for a while or possibly forever to see if the symptoms disappear But I was wondering has there ever been a case where someone got oral cancer at a young age like 16? Oh and the teeth are still the same color. Thanks

The only one that can tell you if you have OC is the ENT or whoever does a biopsy on it. If it is positive, then you can start worrying. Go find a good ENT for this. Good luck and calm down.

Oh yes, if I was your parent, something else would be sore and it sure isn't near your head. LOL I raised 3 and all 3 listened and knew better than smoking , drugs or booze.

LOL. My mom would have a heart attack if she found out about what I've been doing so going to my parents is kind of out of the question. I guess my only choice right now is to wait it out for a while...

The best choice is to tell them about your escapades. It will all come out in the open anyway. If they are like me, the truth makes things easier for you. They wil be too worried until you are biopsied to punish you more than a few choice words LOL

Sorry, but what does biopsied mean? Is it like losing parts of your gums and tongue from surgery like I've been reading about in some of the other posts?

I agree that the truth will be better especially knowing that you are facing a possible horrible thing like cancer. And YES, it is possible to get oral cancer at a young age and it has happened. If you are not up to telling your parents and are thinking about waiting DO NOT WAIT very long. A couple weeks as this stuff is nasty and I would rather you get treatment at an early stage instead of waiting and it grow too much.

I just found out that I have a dentist appointment next week for a check up. Do dentists know stuff about this?

Yes, some dentists do know. When you go in to see him ask for an oral cancer screening and also point out the spots you are afraid of. I am sure he will do x-rays. If you had some done not too long ago you might ask that they compare them to see if you have lost bone (the space between the teeth you are seeing). Be aware that your dentist might refer you to an oral surgeon if he is not sure about them.

A biopsy isn't real big. What they do is usually a punch biopsy and they punch a hole in the affected area and take a small piece of it. This piece is then checked out at a lab to see if there is cancer in there and what type of cancer it is and how bad it might be.

Oh alright thanks for the help!!!

You are very welcome for any help!!! If you have any more questions after your appt or before just ask. We are here to help.

Dentists certainly know about oral cancer but usually they will refer to a oral surgeon to do a biopsy of the lesion. There may be exceptions but don't be surprised if he sends you to an oral surgeon to do a biopsy.

Lee,

Glad you found this site to answer your questions.

First of all if I was your parent I would be very upset with you for not telling me what's going on no matter what you've been doing. Maybe I shouldn't say this is there any need to tell them what you've been up to, tell them you have something going on in your mouth. If that's what's holding you back your smoking and drinking and that will upset them don't say anything about it unless it comes up. Get to a Dentist or Oral Surgeon.

There is nothing to having a biopsy suggest to your Dentist you want one, that's the only way you'll know for sure. If he says it doesn't look like anything to be alarmed about tell him you want a biopsy now. Only a small piece is taken you can't tell it heals normal if you know what I mean.

Keep us posted I hope it's nothing.

Connie

Lee, please do tell your parents what is going on. It isn't necessary to talk about smoking or drinking as this may or may not be the cause of anything. But they will want to know that there is a problem and be there to support you. Hopefully it is not cancer. As others have said, don't waste any time on this. Get to a good ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist and have it looked at. Dentist may or may not be helpful.

I hope this turns out to be nothing significant. Please keep us informed and we will all be here fo you.

Again, please let your family know you have a lesion and are scared.

Dodie

Please don't wait! I'm the mother of a 16 and 14 year old. Yes I would be upset if they were partying but I would be 1000 times more upset if they didn't tell me they had a lump in there mouth. Tell them asap. If you tell your doctor about the cigs and pot he has to keep it confidential I beleive even if your a minor. Just do not wait, tell them immediately about the lump so they can get you the proper diagnosis. Good luck to you and Merry Xmas. Shelly

9/18/10-mucoepidermoid carcinoma-inter/advanced
10/13/10-surgery, neck dissection
11/1/10-start 33 rads no chemo

Some do some don't, they are starting to get up on it lately. It's best to have the checkup by your Dentist so that the ENT and Oncologist will have an idea as to the health of your teeth and gums. Good luck. We have a very good dentist in OCF that has fought this stuff. I bet he will post for you with good advice.

Lee - Don't wait!! You need to get your mouth looked at by by someone familiar with Oral Cancer. My son waited and kept putting off getting to the dentist until he had a big lump under his tongue and it started hurting. Luckily his dentist sent him to an Oral Surgeon right away. Often the symptoms don't cause any pain and you can't use the reason of no pain not to get it checked out. Start by telling your Mom what's going on inside your mouth and that you are afraid it could be oral cancer. Tell her you've been looking up info on the net and OCF and ask her to go with you to a dentist that knows about Oral Cancer. Maybe you could also look up a good dentist and find out if they are experienced in Oral Cancer. She will be proud that you were responsible enough to get all the information about your health. Then, if she asks you if you've been smoking, tell her you have quit (and REALLY quit before you tell her!!). First, she will be very worried about the cancer, then she will be happy you quit smoking and glad you got all the information. If your Mom goes ballistic about what you've been doing, just listen and take whatever you have coming like the responsible person you are. It's a small price to pay for getting your health (and maybe your life) back!

Lee, Im going to talk to you like you were one of my own kids and Im sure you wont like what I have to say. This is life or death!!!! Stop playing around and tell your parents right away!!!!! I know you think that its something you can take care of but its not. Yes it can be oral cancer at your age. Throw away the cigs, forget the pot and booze. While you are at it get some decent friends who are smarter than the partiers you hang out with now. Your parents are not the enemy, they love you more than anybody else in the whole world. So now that you are probably mad and dont want to hear what I say, keep reading, I will tell you what has to be done.

Ive had oral cancer 3 times so I know what Im talking about. It could be anything in your mouth. You will need to go to the dentist. You may need referrals to go see other doctors. Your parents need to know if their child has cancer so you need to tell them so they can help you. It is not anything you can do yourself. Now is not the time to worry about the punishment, people die for this. Your parents can navigate the insurance processes, everybody has differnt insurances and has different rules about referrals.

If you have something in your mouth that has been there for 2 weeks then it needs to be checked. An oral surgeon or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor can check it out and if necessary take a tiny sample called a biopsy. That gets sent to a lab to process where they will tell if its cancer or not. About a week later you will get the results. You will want to go to an oral surgeon or ENT who is familiar with treating alot of oral cancer patients. This is very important!

If you choose to ignore what you have been told then it is you who will pay the price. Ive taken my time to write this to you hoping that you are smart enough to take care of yourself and do the right thing. So have many other members written to you. As a teenager you will make alot of mistakes, thats called growing up. Most teenagers feel invinicible but sadly they are just like everyone else and can get sick and die of the same diseases. I hope you are ok and that this was your wake up call. Life has 2 paths and it sounds like you have been led down the wrong one. Its not too late to get back on the right path. Noy everybody gets a wake up call and a chance to change their future. I hope you take this as a learning experience. Hope to hear from you again. We are here to help you and your parents so please keep asking questions.

Amen Christine. Lets hope he acts adult and listens. He's at the age where as you get older that your parents seem smarter than you remember and the kids seem dumber. Listen to what you are being told Lee. This is jst like a car and can kill those that think it can't.

Lee --

In answer to your question about whether this can strike teenagers ... yes, it can and does. One of our most memorable posters was Hayley, an 18-year-old from England who was diagnosed in 2007 (do a search for her name in the Search box at the upper right of each forum page). Both she and her mother were active participants on the boards during her diagnosis and treatment; when her mom last updated in April 2009, Hayley was doing just fine.

where is the white patch?

As for smoking and marijuana and what not, they say that smoking doesn't cause this unless you have smoked for years and years and years and years. I have a different oppinion about that statement as I was 25 when i was diagnosed, and i smoked on and off for 7 years, maybe a total of 4 years. And I know of others, like a 22 year old who was diagnosed when she was 20 and she smoked for just a few years too.

As for your teeth growing apart. When I had my braces taken off, they gave me some clear retainers that i was supposed to wear. I wore them for like a year like i was supposed to, and then i stupidly gave up on them. And sure enough, the space in my teeth came back, and my teeth went pretty much right back to how they were before the braces went on.

I will say this. I know you are young, and are weary of telling your parents. But I honestly think you should. I saw a dentist when my first spot showed up, and they told me it wasn't cancer, cuz it didn't look like cancer, and i was too young for it. But i insisted if they didn't know what to do further, that they refer me to someone that would. They then referred me to an oral surgeon, that like my dentist said it couldn't be cancer cuz it didn't look like it and i was too young. 3 months later of me pushing and pushing and pushing for a biopsy, and they finally exhausted all the other options of what it could be, they finally biopsied and it came back as stage 3.

I urge you to tell you parents about this, and I guarantee that whatever trouble you get into will be worth it in the long run, even if this isn't cancer, because it may help you get things straightened out in your life, and help you see what life is really about.

I am not trying to say what you are doing is wrong, when i was younger i smoked cigs, marijuana and drank, but my mom was the supplier of things, so i didn't have to worry about getting in trouble. But now, I wish I had someone to help me stop those things, cuz i may not be where I am today, with half a tongue, a big scar on my neck and left forearm.

This is nothing to take half heartedly, and it can kill you if you don't take it seriously enough. Please, don't just wait it out. They say if you see something and it doesn't clear up in 2 weeks, to go see a oral surgeon or a ENT. They will know more about oral cancer then any dentist will.

Please don't take this so lightly. Its a very serious thing, and more and more younger people are getting this, so please, if it lasts longer then 2 weeks, make sure you get checked out by a oral surgeon or ent!!

They told me if i had gone 6 more months with out treatment, i would have been dead. That would have been 10 months after I initially found it. It can be aggressive, and other times it can take it's sweet time.