Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Kit. I'm a college educated professional with a wife and two kids ages 3 and 3 months. I am 33 yrs old and have been dipping since I was 13. I picked up a drinking habit in college and drank fairly heavily for the last ten years. About 8 years ago I found a hard cyst on my gumline where I dipped. I went to an oral surgeon and he exised it and had it analyzed, he said it was benign. Fast forward to two years ago. I had developed two more small cysts in my mouth and at some point a small hard cyst in my neck. I pointed the cysts out to my dentist and he didn't think they were worthy of biopsy. So now I'm having occasional numbing sensations of my jaw, as well as occasional numbness of my hand on the same side. Everything is one the left side of my body. What have I done? Has my stupidity caused me to loose valuable time in getting a diagnosis. I can't imagine dealing with this now. I am so scared that I'm not going to be there for my kids. I have an appointment with a GP today. Any thoughts or words of wisdom would be appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

youngin,

If I were you I would immediately go to see a cancer aware (for lack of a better term) ENT. You definately have issues that need to be examined by someone experienced in cancers in the region and I should know. The ENT I went to was the 5th doctor I had seen after finding lumps in my neck and he was the only one that discovered, and immediately i might add, my cancer.

I hope that it is not cancer but you need to know now.

Kit,

I echo David's advise. My ENT (Ear Nose and Throat or Otolaryngologist) was the doctor that performed my surgery. An oral surgeon did the biopsy on my tnongue, but with your risk factors I would go to an ENT so you can know one way or the other. If it is cancer, they can help you deal with it. If it is not cancer, they will tell you to stop dipping and drinking, quite simply (Not preaching here -- just common sense)

Take care and let us know. If it is cancer we can definitely help you get through whatever you may face.

Jim

Thanks guys. I am going to request referral to a cancer knowledgable ENT. I don't know how much more anxiety I can take. All I can think about is my kids. I'm off the dip and beer.

Hello Kit.
My name is Peter and I'm new and scared like yourself. This forum gives me encouragement and hope. YOU ARE NOT ALONE HERE!
Please follow all the advise you receive. These people KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW, AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
Hang in there, be strong for your family. EVERYONE here wants to help YOU!
PeteyB

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (in Nashville) and the University of Tennessee Cancer Institute (in Memphis) both have multidisciplinary head and neck cancer programs. If your biopsy does show cancer, centers like these will take a team approach to treatment, involving doctors from several specialities to come up with an individual treatment plan. If you are close to one of them, I'd start there if your biopsy comes back positive -- or even go to an ENT at the Vanderbilt or UT ear/nose/throat department for your biopsy.

I'll keep my fingers crossed....

All the best,
Leslie

Kit,

Just wanted you to know we are all thinking of you today. Glad to know you will see Dr. that knows what he is looking at.

Keep us posted.
Take Care,
Diane

HI KIT,

Sorry to hear of your situation , but like everyone here says you really NEED to have it checked .. The scary thing is the amount of younger people that are being Diag with this. I too am fairly new and also YOUNG ! LOL (atleast I like to think so 35). However I did not smoke or drink. the 1st step is the diagamosis....then everything else will follow. You have come to the right place for questions and support. I am 5 weeks out of surgery and "still healing " they tell me , but I couldnt have done it with out the support of the wonderful people on here ! I have my family and friends and while i am thankful for them ...it is not the same . the bond you feel with the people who truley understand what you are going through on your worst day , the fear you felt when they said those words to you for the 1st time , when they tell you to hold your head up you can get through it ..they know they have done it and they will give you the stregth and encouragment and prolly even a lecture if ya need it LOL.....so 1st things 1st ..the Dr......and know that we are all here waiting with you and your family !

Thanks to everybody for the their posts and good wishes. Just to update, the GP I saw yesterday felt the mass he said that he thought it was a lymph node. He took some blood for testing and gave me a referral to the ENT. He said didn't think the mass had the characteristics of a malignancy; for whatever that's worth. He did say my tonsils looked swollen and cryptic. He seemed to think that maybe my symptoms could be related to them. At any rate, I'm waiting to be seen by the ENT now. I will keep everyone posted on my situation. In the mean time y'all are in my thoughts and prayers.

Of course it is a lymph node, and the proper thing to do would have been to do a fine needle biopsy of the node. If you are not having an ear ache, tooth ache, or running a fever from some infection that might be draining into the nodes, they need to rule out the serious things first. Infections that drain to the nodes make them tender to the touch. The markers in any blood sample are not going to be of much help in finding a SCC diagnosis. As to characteristics of malignancy it is a good sign if it is painful. Painless - not so good. Fixated in place also not so good. But none of these are absolutes, and cetainly not conclusive of anything. That biopsy of the cryptic area of your tonsil and a needle biopsy of the node are not painful to go through, and if there are any questions about what's what, they should be done. Sooner better than later for many reasons, none the least of which is your peace of mind.