Hello everyone. I am new here and I have alot of unanswered questions about oral cancer. I have not been diagnosed with this, but I currently am having alot of oral problems that I think may be oral cancer. First I do have a large red mass, as my ENT said, on my adenoids. This is giving me a choking feeling and I am having facial pain or discomfort, tongue in white at times and feels like it is swellin as does my throat, sometimes, not all the time. My teeth and gums hurt and the roof of my mouth is sensitive at times when touched with my tongue. My gums do have some black spots on them and they feel rough. My ENT has me on antibiotics, he thinks the red mass is an infection. I get it checked out Monday again to see if it has gone down, but with all the other symptoms I have I'm thinking cancer. My lips burn at times too. I don't know if this is cancer, but it sure is scaring me!!! I suffer from panic/anxiety to so for something like this to be happeing is not doing me any good for that. I am a smoker. I've smoked since I was 18, so yeah I'm scared. Anybody have any answers as to, is this symptoms of cancer. Can anybody help me?

It seems that with the problems that you are having with your teeth, tongue and gums, that it would be a good idea to visit a dentist. I am curious if you have been to a dentist lately?

Jerry

When I found my cancer I thought at first it was a form of thrust. It was not painful at all. Only when my teeth started becoming loose did I get concerned. I went to the Dentist who sent me to my ENT who sent me to Amos Cancer Center after the biopsy proved positive. You should take one day at a time and stop sweating things until you find out what is up. The mind can make you sicker then you are. I truely pray that yours does not prove to be cancer and every one here is great with help. I Have been here for a short while as it is and I plan on being here for a super long time. Even if yours comes back negative maybe you should check out all these sweet people here they are a great bunch. God is watching out for you and the rest of us, Heres knowing you will not be with the C word. And only problem that the antibiotics can fix. Brenda

Adele,

It's not cancer until it's been diagnosed but you definitely need to continue until you get definitive answers. I had to go to 4 different doctors before one finally did a FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration)which confirmed my cancer. I hope your problems are not cancer related but do keep pressing for answers until you're satisfied with the answers because, if it is cancer, your life may very well be at stake.

Thanks for replying everybody. I did go to the dentist about 3 weeks ago, they did a cleaning and a check-up, but the dentist said everything looked ok. at the time I was having dry mouth and they told me to use biotene products, whick i now do, but that has since ended, and now i feel burning, tingling sensations in my mouth, my teeth just have a weird feeling, my cheeks on the insides are swollen and i noticed last night that i have some white lines on them. my throat isn't as sore as it was, i've been on anti-biotics now for almost 4 weeks. all this has been goin on now for 7-8 weeks. i'm just concerned. I have 2 school age children and i'm a single parent. I don't know whats gonna happen to them if anything happens to me.

It sounds alot like thrush, or maybe an allergic reaction. Have you changed toothpaste or other oral products lately? I would return to the ENT to get to the bottom of this. Good luck to you.

Adele,

Your concerns are legitimate but calm down until you know for sure what is the cause of your problems. Getting upset prematurely or for no good reason is not helping anything right now.

I agree, but I can't help myself. I'm scared to die and unfortunately that is what I think of when I hear the word cancer. I know everyone does not die, all you guys are survivors. Can thrush cause my symptoms, if it is a bad case. Does anyone know about that?

Adele...Let me first state that I am not a physician, and I certainly can't pretend to give you medical advise. My first thought was 'the antibiotics has caused a yeast infection (thrush) in your mouth'.....Hopefully, the white patches are nothing more than that.
Please don't panic...Monday will be here before you know it, and then you'll have some facts to work with.
Hang in there...all of us will be here for you, no matter what the outcome.

Lois & Buzz in NC

Thanks Emmylou, all of you are very nice and help to put minds to ease. I hope it's just the antibiotics. I'm having some white stuff on the inside of my cheeks now. Looks like spider legs or some are larger. My lips have been burning for 3 days now and my mouth all swollen on the inside gums teeth hurt, but today I got up and my lips wasn't burning, but my gums are sore again. See everything I am having is coming and going then coming back again over and over. Although, the white stuff on my cheeks is new. Don't know what that is. Is leukapakia, probably not spelled right, a cancer. What I have on my cheeks kinda looks like that from what I've seen on the web.

ok I went back to the ENT yesterday. He said the mass on my adenoids had reduced, which he says was infection, but I also showed him the white film on the inside of my cheeks. He said it was leuplakia. Isn't that a form of cancer or cause of cancer? He thought it was from the antibiotics or because my cheeks would swell and my teeth would bite them and rub them. I dunno, I'm still concerned. I still have a sore throat, after antibiotics for 4 weeks and predisone. He said he thought my sore throat was from Gurd or heartburn. I don't have heartburn, or very seldom do I. He said most the time it goes unnoticed. So I don't know what to think. Luckily, my GP made a mistake and made me another appointment with another ENT, so I'm going to go to that one Thursday and get a second opinion. I just don't know why my throat is staying sore and all the stuff goning on with my mouth and face. I also seen a neurologists today. Of course, he didn't know what was going on, he said something about migrains, guess what, I don't have Migrains. He gave me medicene for that, but he did schedule me for a MRI. The ENT thought that maybe I had nerver endings that was inflammed. I don't know, it's all just freaking me out. I don't know what to do, if the next ENT doesn't do something about all this. I'm in terrible pain and getting no help. Any suggestions on the leuplakia or help? Already seen my GP, dentist, neurolist, and going for another ENT. So any other suggestions? Also, has anyone heard of oil pulling?

Leukoplakia -- a white patch on the tongue or inside of the cheek that doesn't rub off and cannot be diagnosed as anything else -- is a pre-cancerous condition. Most leukoplakias do not turn to cancer; some, like my husband's, do. Leukoplakia is often the result of irritation; if the source of the irritation is found and dealt with, the leukoplakia may disappear.

There is a lot of information about leukoplakia on the main part of the Oral Cancer Foundation website; use the Search link at the bottom of each of these pages (between Newsletter and Site Map) to get to the search engine of the main OCF site.

As Brian wrote me when I first asked about leukoplakia in May 2006 (before the cancer was discovered): "Keep an eye on it from now until forever."

All the best,
Leslie

Thanks Leslie,
I will keep a close eye on it. I am still going to get a second opinion. I just don't know what to do next. I'll go see another ENT again, then what should I do? What kind of doctor is next?

Sounds like it is definently time to stop antibiotics and the prednisone and see what happens over the next 4-6 weeks. Prednisone can suppress your immune system. If antibiotics have not helped in a month then time to rethink the solution. Leukoplakia is a "pre-malignant" and progresses to squamous cell cancer in about 10% of cases. If you smoke, use smokeless tobacco products, alcohol (any form), or truly have irritation from teeth or dentures then focus on correcting these factors. It's a clincal diagnosis but biopsy should be performed. Oral leukoplakia on the buccal (inside cheeks) is usually benign but other locations absolutely need to be biopsied without watchful waiting. GERD (reflux) may cause sore throat or wheezing or early dental caries but my experience this is uncommon; especially in someone who doesn't feel this is a problem. Silent GERD during sleep is possible but hard to buy in your case. Migraines? You either have them or not so I don't buy that one either from your Neurologist. The only type of dentist to see is an "oral surgeon". These folks have the additional training to know something about diseases in the oral cavity.
Seeking a second opinion from a different ENT specialist unrelated to the first one is "smart".
You need a pat on the back for being concerned about your health.

THANK YOU SO MUCH LELFRINK. I AM VERY CONCERNED. THE WAY I SEE IT, IS IF A DOC SAY "O THATS JUST LEUKOPLAKIA, DON'T WORRY" SHOOT I'M WORRIED CAUSE I KNOW THAT WORD MEANS CANCER OR CAN BE CANCEROUS. I DON'T HAVE MIGRAINES. I WILL SEE IF MY GP WILL GET ME TO A ORAL SURGEON. I HAVE TO GO THROUGH HIM, IN ORDER FOR MY INSURANCE TO PAY. SO I GUESS WE'LL SEE. THANKS AGAIN. YOU DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL STUPID.

I have my MRI on March 6th, hope it shows what is going on. I probably will not post here anymore, Brian has informed me that I am not cancerous and I feel bad for taking everyone's time on here. I may check back in after I see what's going on. Brian is the founder of this, so I guess I should listen to him. He just made me feel awful for even being on here. I was only concerned about myself and hope I did not offend anybody or take up to much of you time.

I haven't "informed you" of anything that hasn't been an open response to your postings. Please don't put words in my mouth.... I said that you didn't have classic symptoms for oral cancer, and I said in an answer to another thread of yours that you were welcome to post and ask questions as you continued to find out what your medical issues actually were. I am sorry that you feel awful, but I have not intended to drive you off if the people here can be of help. I get it that you are frustrated, but I think it is unfair to put it on me when I tell you that you are asking questions that cannot be answered in any finite terms by us.

Brian, I am not asking to be diagnosed by anyone. I just want everyones opinion. I am truly sorry if I've made you mad. I just want to know everyone's symptoms that they had. Everything I can learn about all this will put my mind at ease, at least until I find out what's going on. I'm sorry again, please accept my apology. Yes I'm frustrated, I have been going through all this now for almost 2 months and I still have no answers. My ENT that I went to did not think the infection I had on my adenoids was making my throat sore. He thought it was more to do with acid reflux, which I don't have. I don't even get heartburn, but once in a blue moon. He just didn't have another answer, so that's why I'm getting a second opinion. Like I said I just want to know everyone's symptoms they had cause from what I've seen so far everyone's is different. Some go unnotice, some have pain, some have lumps and bumps, so I just want everyone who will talk to me about it to post. I am sorry again. I respect what you have said.