Hi,
I am hoping that my anxiety is just getting the best if me. My husband chewed for 15 years and about 6 months ago he quit due to a spot on his cheek. Since turkeys spot was biopsied and negative for cancer. Since then I have been very paranoid about his mouth , checking it often. On Monday I noticed anwhite spot on his tongue. It actually looks like red inflammed taste buds with a white border. I of course freaked out. I made him go to the doctor which said it looked like inflammation and an ulcer. He gave him a antibiotic and said if its not gone in a week to follow up with his normal doctor. The next day he visited the dentist. The dentist knows his history and said this was nothing cancerious or to worry about.

After all this reassurance I am still terrified he has tounge cancer.the area still looks the same as it did on Monday so of course I am worried. I just want this to go away. I am just afraid the dentist may have missed something. He said it looked like a healing canker sore. But this area is not painful at all to him.

I hope this is nothing and I am over reacting. I just need a little reassurance.

I will include a pic even though its hard to see. It o. Side/ top of his of his tongue. White borders. It looks redder in the pic than it does in person. The red looks like normal taste buds just redder. Does this look like cancer or healing canker sore ?should I be so worried?

Also he is 30 years old with no health problems. I am pregnant expectig our second child so I need some peace. I know all this anxiety is bad for the baby. Thanks k appreciate any advice that I can get.

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc393/kkingery83/1539bcd2.jpg

Hi Kimmy, welcome to OCF! Do yourself a huge favor and relax! Worrying will only be harmful to your health, it will not change anything. I know its easier said than done but please dont panic.

When a sore has been in a persons mouth for 2 or 3 weeks and not healed then its time to see an oral surgeon or an ENT (ear, nose and throat specialist). Make sure you make an appointment with someone familiar with oral cancer. Unfortunately most dentists do not run into oral cancer very often so cant look at something and tell you what it is. If the sore is still there in 2 weeks then it should be biopsied. Thats the only way to tell for sure if it is cancerous or not. Try to stay busy so the time passes easier for you.

Even by looking at photos, nobody here is qualified to diagnose your husband over the internet. We can only guide you in the right direction and offer advice.

During any given time a person who is otherwise healthy can develop mouth sores. It can be any number of different things. Most times it turns out to be nothing.

One thing you mentioned is that the sore did not hurt. That is one of the symptoms of oral cancer, a sore that doesnt hurt. I hope you dont panic over this but its just something to be aware of.

Since the holidays are coming up you might want to find a qualified ENT and schedule an appointment. It usually takes a couple of weeks to get in anyway. So this way you can always cancel it if the sore heals. Better to be prepared just in case. If (remember IF is a big word!) it would turn out to be cancer, it will have been caught very early and be highly treatable.

Here is more info that might help you.
Main OCF pages Diagnosis info

Thanks I have been a basket case about this. I don't know why but I have a phobia of oral cancer. I called and I am going to make him an appointment with another dentist on our area that uses the light that can check for oral cancer. I have not looks at it since yesterday bc he is out o town but he said it looked smaller and almost gone. So I am hoping by the time he gets home it will be gone. Do you think the light teat is a good thing? Infighter even if the sore is gone by that point it would be a good thug since he did use snuff for so long. I would make an appt with an oral surgeon but we have to have a referral from both our dentist and doctor for the insurance to pay. I am hoping it is nothing but like you said if it's something it would be caught early. Thanks for your reply I appreciate it.

Hi Kimmy,

I had a spot on my tongue, went to my Dentist he gave me an antibotic, most Dentist have no clue about Oral cancer sorry to say.

Make an appointment with an Oral Surgeon to take a biopsy that way your sure. The biopsy of the tongue is no big thing they scrap a little after it heals you have no clue you had a biopsy.

Get a referral tell your Dr. you want to be sure and this is the only way. Don't take no for an answer.

Hope all goes your way.

Take care,
Connie

Thanks Connie, we will go for sure to the oral surgeon if it doesn't heal. It's only been there four days and my husband who is out of town says it's going away so that's a good thing. Dod your spot look anything like the pic I posted? Also how long was your spot there??!

In the above link I sent you there is an image gallery. Click on the pictures then click on diagnosis. You will be surprised at things you would think are cancer arent and things that look like nothing are really cancerous.
Image Gallery from main OCF pages

An oral surgeon or ENT doing a biopsy would be covered by your medical insurance, not dental. Not sure if this helps you to figure out how to get a referral. Most important in choosing your doctor is picking someone who sees oral cancer on a regular basis. Most dentists do not.

Its very good news hearing the sore is going away. This is why you should wait the 2 weeks. Most things will get resolved by themselves.

Kimmy,

Mine was white on the side of my tongue, when it got bigger it turned red and would bleed. When it first started it was the size of the end of my little finger then it grew. My tumor was there for a long time because of going back and forth to the Dentist who had no clue. I never thought it was cancer, never came to my mind, never heard of cancer of the tongue. On my own I rinsed my mouth out with Hydrogen Perioxide I almost went through the roof.

Seeing your ahead of the game and if your husbands sore doesn't go away get to an Oral Surgeon don't mess around with your Dentist.

As far as looking at photo's I couldn't tell you we're all different.

Take care,
Connie

Thanks Connie and Christine. I am hoping since he said it looks like it going away we won't have to go to an oral surgeon but if we do I won't waste my time with my dentist. One good thing I can say about my dentist is he is very very thorough and the littlest thing he suspects he does refer to the oral surgeon. we live in Kansas and alot of people use smokeless tobacco here so I think our dentist have some good experience at least with chewing lesions. He did finally get my husband to quit chewing which I am grateful for.

I am hoping I am worrying over nothing. We have a 2 year old and one on the way and I am not ready to deal with cancer. Not now : (


Are you both cancer free now??? Your stories are inspirational !

Kimmy,

As of today I'm cancer free, but I do think about it coming back daily. I noticed my sore in Dec. I went back and forth to my Dentist and Dr until I found out about Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL in April that's where I has my surgery.

You know what to do now if the sore doesn't go away, IF it is cancer you caught it right away. Christine is right wait 2 weeks see what happens.

Keep us posted.

Take care,
Connie

Hi,
I am very releaved to tell you the white areas on his tongue seem to be going away. All the white on the side is gone. All that remains is a little white border on top of his tongue with a red patch if inflammed taste buds. This makes me feel better because cancer wouldn't heal.

I did make and appointment with him to see his primary care doctor. I am starting to think these ulcers are actually geographical tongue. Yesterday after eating tomatoes again he said his tongue felt like it was breaking out. Then a few tiny red spots with white borders poped up on the other side of his tounge. I know cancer doesn't pop up all over the place so this reassures me this is somethig benign. I will keep you posted when he goes to the doctor tomorrow.

Thanks for all your info an kind words.

Kim

Good luck glad to hear all is well!

Excellent news! Sounds like something is irritating his mouth. Not that its good but it sure is better than having cancer!

Make sure you question the family doc as to how many oral cancers they have seen. Most family doctors are unaware of what oral cancer looks like or its symptoms. In my case, I was very fortunate that my family doc suspected oral cancer or I probably wouldnt still be around.

Please come back and let us know that everything is ok with your husband. Best wishes!

Ok so the spot is back again pretty much in the same side and area on his tongue. Is this normal for cancer to heal and then come back? Could this be something else? Now I am very freaked out

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc393/kkingery83/26baca3c.jpg

Here is a link to the new spot. He is going to a dentist that uses veliscope today.!hopefully this is geographical tongue. I canceled the appt with our GP. So hopefully we will get some good news today. I dont think cancer will go away then come back.

Kimmy,

I see an area on the top of his tongue, just under his teeth, that looks like geographical tongue. Hard to see what's going on, on the border. It's great that you found a dentist that uses the VelScope. I used it for many years before retiring.

I would assume that if the area looks suspicious, that your husband will be referred for a biopsy. This is the only way to tell what a lesion is. No one can make a diagnosis without it.

Good luck.

You can PM me (as I don't get to the forum as much as I would like to) if there is anything I can help you with.

Thanks. I am really hoping this is just geographical tongue. Can it only occur on one area of his tongue. Could it pop up and then go away? Will his mouth feel like it's breaking out before it pops up?

I think everyone is different. Really. I had my sore on my tongue for ages. For the longest time I thought it was allergies. I'd been biopsied and was negative for cancer. I went to LA one year and did a lot of yoga, came down with a rash all over and my tongue felt better... that's what made me think it might be an allergy. Even before my second biopsy I said to the ENT my tongue looks better and feels better. The guy said. I still don't like it now open up. And he snipped out a piece. It was cancer.

People's bodies are made to fight foreign cells by nature. Maybe his immune system is working to try and solve the problem - whatever it is. However, I would seriously get to an ENT and have it checked out or biopsied just to be on the safe side.

Not trying to scare you... but for your own piece of mind! take care.

So we visited the dentist today and did the veliscope. The area showed up a little darker than normal but the dentist feels like this is geographic tongue. He said since the area is coming and going that's a good thing. A whole new area pop up just today. It wasn't there before. Just to be sure he is going to re check him in 2 weeks. If there still there then he will do the biopsy but he said now no red flags are going off which is a good thing.

Awesom - let's hope it stays that way!!!

Excellent!

Glad to hear the dentist will recheck in 2 weeks to be sure nothing is wrong.