| Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Member | OP Member Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 | Hi i' m ren and im new to this forum. I am 20 years old, female, nonsmoker, nondrinker.
Symptoms: 1 painless sore on the upper gums. Persistent for 3 months now. Not getting large or getting small. 2 swollen lymph nodes on my neck, they are pea like in size. Also persistent for 3 months and also painless. Something itchy in my ear when i swallow. Also sometimes, it feel like it is plugged especially during the morning. I have no bruxism, but in the morning when i bite my teeth, there is something mildly painful. And when i rate the pain, it would be 3. All of these symptoms are in the left side.
I have visited 2 ENTs now, the first one diagnosed me said that I have chronic rhinitis, he did a nasal endoscopy. The second one gave me antibiotics, a tetracycline mouthwash. I had to stop it after 1 day because it irritated the area surounding the sore. He said that we will just observe the sore. Both of them said not to worry.
My mother is a GP, she also prescribed me antibiotics. I have been on doxycycline for 7 days, and cefuroxime for 5 days. She said that if the sore is growing or if there are other growths in my mouth, then it would be CA.
I have been searching on the internet for answers, and all it showed to me was OC. I have been so worried since then. I was crying for days. But now i have stopped crying and said to myself that all will be ok, that maybe the sore will heal on its own.
I have been taking 12 capsules of sodium ascorbate (alkaline vit. C) and 3 capsules of xanthone a day.
Btw, my grandfather died of buccal cancer, he died at the age of 72. And we are in a country with no medical insurances, the costs of all medical need comes out from your own pocket.
Last edited by ren; 10-15-2014 04:35 AM.
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Ren, welcome to OCF!
The sore in your mouth could be any number of things. But please do not just sit back at wait for it to heal on its own. Any sore inside the mouth that has been there for more than 2 or 3 weeks needs to be checked by a professional. I suggest going to an ENT who treats oral cancer patients. A biopsy will determine exactly what the sore is and you can then take it from there as to how best to treat it. If your mother is a GP then hopefully she has some connections with top ENTs in your area. Dont let them dismiss you due to your age. Insist on a biopsy.
Im very sorry about your grandfather. As far as Ive seen, this type of cancer is not hereditary.
Wishing you all the very best!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Member | OP Member Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 | Thank you very much My mother said that i must not worry becuase worry can also cause other illness. She does not want me to have a biopsy, because once the lymph node is moved, or touched by needles, you must now follow it up with surgery when the biosy come out with CA. She have some cancer patients that died after the surgery. She said we will just eat healthy foods, take herbal supplements and pray. She is afraid of surgery, thats why i too am afraid of it. I am still dependent on my mother and have no money of my own to go to a doctor for a consultation or biopsy. The costs of medical assistance here in our country is so expensive. One patient with cancer spend 500$ dollars a day for his chemotherapy. We are not rich and we lack the money to support someone who will have CA. I hope that this is just a benign lesion. Thank you very much for the advice 😊
Last edited by ren; 10-15-2014 05:00 AM.
| | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | You didn't fill out your profile completely but it appears you are posting from the Philippines. Is this correct?
This is not responding to antibiotics, so it is not a bacterial infection. No where in your first post do you mention that your nodes of your neck are swollen as a symptom, but in your second post you are talking about a biopsy of one of them, so I am wondering if something has changed. Do you have a swollen lymph node and is it tender or painless? Of course if a fine needle biopsy showed you had cancer you would want to treat it, right? But you shouldn't be worrying about treatments and consequences yet until you know what it is.
Advice to do nothing but take herbal supplements and pray is not going to make this go away, and you deserve a diagnosis. It may not be cancer, but clearly it is not an infection either. If you have a swollen node that shows that it is getting worse not better.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. | | | | Joined: Apr 2014 Posts: 236 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Apr 2014 Posts: 236 | ren
Christine is right do not sit back and wait. If it is OC then the earlier you treat it the better the outcome. It very well may not be OC but I would surely have it ruled out. Good Luck Heidi
Sweetpe Caregiver RE:My Mother Age 70 Non Smoker SCC 3/4/2014 Left rear jaw Mandiblctmy 3/25/2014 35RAD Completed on 06/03/2014 MRI 9/3/2014 25mm lobulated recurrence left mandible/floor of mouth carcinoma 9/23/14 Salvage Surgery MET(s) 9/23/14 Salvage Surgery Not Successful Chemo Recommended 1st Round of Cisplatin Chemo Started 10/20/14 Cisplatin stopped 11/20/14. Side affects to bad. Chemo started again 1/22/15 Carbo/Docetaxel Passed Away April 22,2015
| | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | hi there... cancer can be painless. A sore that doesn't heal needs to be dealt with - we just lost an 18 year old last week who had oral cancer - and there's another 20 year old who's sister is on the forum here, who is also fighting this disease. I'm not saying this to scare you - I am saying it to educate you. Because of the type of cancer (usually a heavy smoker or drinkers cancer - often found in elderly men) people tend to look at young people who present with Oral cancer like symptoms and miss it or say it's something else -
This is old information. Now the young, women, pregnant women, and people like myself who are non smokers and drinkers are getting it.
So my advice... medical insurance or not, it needs to be biopsied. You've done a lot to try and treat it and nothing has helped so to me this is a red flag you need to know specifically what it is... waiting and watching can be deadly.
A few things about this disease - in young people it doesn't always move the way it normally does - (follow a predictable path) - it can be highly aggressive - and buccal cancer of the gum can move into the jaw as well as the nodes - the surgery to repair this can be very disfiguring.
I admire that your mom is a GP but waiting for another sore isn't a good way to tell if its oral cancer. Usually there is a primary (your sore) - that does eventually grow, and then it spreads into the nodes and surrounding tissue. So often there would not be a "second sore" In fact at times there may be only a small sore and it has spread into the nodes - so it really depends on a whole bunch of factors.
You need to see an ENT who will take this seriously - one who will take a small sample of the area and send it out for testing.
I'm not saying it's cancer, but you've ruled out a lot of other things and there has been no response so now you need to rule out OC, then you can work on figuring out what it is.
best of luck.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Member | OP Member Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 | Yes, I am from the philippines.
The nodes first swell up, then next i had a sore that would not heal. I have not undergone biopsy yet, im afraid to get one. Also if it would turn out as cancer, my mother will not opt for surgery and radiation. She also is scared because some of her patients that went through surgery and rad died, some had recurrences which were more fatal.
I wish i live in the US, the medical assisstance here in our country is not that good. The more high technology the hospital the more expensive it is, and we cannot afford that.
One thing that i have also noticed was that my wisdom tooth is growing, does it have a connection with the sore?
Thank you very much for the advice. i hope that i would be diagnosed soon, hoping that it would not be cancer. | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Since your mother is a physician she should be insisting on a biopsy instead of dismissing it. Delaying could mean the difference between something that can easily be treated or the sore spreading and if it would be cancer it could be fatal. Even though you are dependent on your mother, you are old enough to speak up and explain to her this is not going away and must be dealt with. With her medical background she should understand the seriousness of your situation. At the very least a biopsy would give an answer as to whats going on so a solution can be found.
Good luck! ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 Member | OP Member Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 6 | Thank for the advice.
Last month, i always complain this to my mother, thats why they brought me to ENTs. The ENTs said that there is nothing to worry about, thats why my mother did not go further. Now, i do not complain anything to my mother, also there are some things that im experiencing that i cannot explain into words. She just said that dont worry becuase it will just go away.
| | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | LORD ABOVE...
Fear or not you need a biopsy. Your mother should definitely be pushing for this.
Also - this cancer can only be treated with surgery and usually a radiation/chemotherapy combination (NO CHEMO IS KNOWN TO CURE THIS CANCER)
So if you are diagnosed with this (highly unlikely but not unheard of) those are the only two treatments available. To not do them is to sentence you to a certain death. SO frankly your mom doesn't have much of a choice -
push her to have a biopsy done by an ENT who is familiar with oral cancer - she is a dr. she must know who is good.
also being a dr. she is intelligent enough to know that fear should not hold you back from getting a firm diagnosis and following proper treatment protocol.
hugs.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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