Welcome to OCF! Sure hope you do NOT need our forum!
The white patches could be anything, and yes they could be cancer too. Only a biopsy will determine exactly what you have. A well trained medical professional such as an ENT (ear, nose and throat doc) may have suspicions of what it is by sight but will need a biopsy to confirm it.
As others have said....QUIT SMOKING NOW!!!!! This could be cancer and you are not too young to have it. I am a former smoker so I know quitting isnt easy but if you put your mind to it you can do it. I have worked with the CDC on their Tips From Former Smokers campaign. Those people in the ads are real and they have had their lives forever changed due to smoking. I live a life of being disfigured and stared at everywhere I go which is only one of my medical problems, all from smoking. Tobacco has hundreds chemicals added to it to make it more addictive, there are many irritants in there too. Get rid of the tobacco for good and let this be your wake up call never to touch the stuff again. You do NOT want to live a life like I do all over something you choose to do. I know this sounds harsh but its reality and my life is very difficult but I do try to make the most of it by helping others. Want to see what I look like, think Im exaggerating? Here's a link to check out, click on the photo of Christine. There are a couple videos there if you want to watch them. Most important is that you can see what tobacco did to me and learn from this. I dont want this to happen to anyone else.
Unsweetened Truth (Christine) I wish you the very best luck with getting in to see a specialist. Please hang in there and stay busy while the waiting game begins. Good luck!!!!
