First things first, I'd like to say a big hello to all you lovely supportive people. I've been lurking on here for a month or so reading various posts. I'm incredibly sorry for all you've had to go through from this horrible, cruel disease. And that's not just sufferers, but all you caregivers as well, you are all amazing for supporting and helping your loved ones with their battles. That was a little corny, but I sincerely mean everything I said.

I am here in the hopes that you could possibly help me with a few problems I've been having. Now said problems (as you've probably guessed) have to do with my mouth/throat etc..

I believe it's only fair to warn you, that this may be a little long winded and I may be jumping the gun a little, but seeing as I know from reading posts on here and other places, that people my age are fully capable of getting this and other forms cancer.

Anyway. Around the beginning of May I realised my tongue was a lot rounder and firmer on the right hand side (right at the back, where the foliate papillae are). Because I had previously researched oral cancer, I remembered reading that a swelling or thinking on one side of the tongue could be a sign of cancer. I had a look in the mirror and could not (and still cannot) see anything at all. It wasn't painful at all and at the time I had no other symptoms.

Now though I have a few more, and I'm really scared that my suspicions are correct and I do in fact have cancer. I'll list them below and try to explain exactly what they feel like.


�Swelling on right side of tongue - As mentioned above it wasn't painful at first. The swelling itself isn't painful at all , but occasionally I get this very minor prickly/burning sensation around the top part of my tongue on that side, it can also feel a little achey around the top of the tongue, just before it goes down my throat and a little bit down the back (this is on both sides). I also get this weird feeling along both sides of my tongue underneath. It can last for a few minutes - few hours then go away for either the rest of the day or a few hours. This doesn't happen everyday though. I'm not sure if all of this is because there is something wrong, or if I've done something to my tongue by prodding it about so much since I found the swelling. It's not a hard swelling as such as I can still push it in like I can I the other side, it just takes a little more effort. But I think it's gotten bigger since I found it, but seeing as I cannot see anything I can't be sure. Around 65% sure it's bigger.

�Persistant sore throat - what exactly does this mean in reference to cancer?. I have had a mild/minor sore throat for the past 5 weeks. It's gotten a bit worse the past 3 days or so, but it has been on and off. By this I mean that I've had it everyday (bar 3/4 days 2 weeks ago where it went away completely) but it has been on/off throughout the day and had changed in how severe it is. This morning for example it was really bad, but now I can barely feel it. Today though it been weird, it's like I can feel its sore but it's not like any sore throat I've had before, I can't distinguish where it is as it feels like its deeper in my throat, though its been on and off again today. Mostly off.

�Mouth pain in general - this includes my gums (at the back of mouth on both sides), teeth (at back on both sides, mainly at bottom but sometimes at the top), corner of lips (very very mild burning), and inner cheek walls. Again this is on and off and usually last for a few minutes or so then goes away, and it's not all at this same time, it's usually one or two places at a time. Usually teeth. I've had the mild burning on the roof of my mouth too.

�Cheeks - I know I mentiond them above but I feel I need to elaborate more. My cheeks are a bit swollen inside, the left more than the right and the have small red patches, it is not erythroplakia though as the dentist said it wasn't that. I can also feel a small lump in my right cheek, it's small and hard and is movable. The cheeks feel kind of thick, like thicker than cheeks should feel (if that makes sense). Though I think most of not all of my cheek trouble is because I kept chewing and sucking them between my cheeks everyday for a few weeks and that's when I first noticed the red marks and swelling. I'm just worried as I've not chewed them for 3 weeks and the swelling and marks are still there. Could I have just chewed them so much I've caused permanent damage?, I didn't chew them for very long, and I wasn't roughly.

�feeling of something stick in throat - I've had this on and off for a year, but it's been practically constsnt for past 6 weeks. Though it has died down the past week or so. It's in the lower part of my throat, there are no actual lumps to be felt though.

�Wobbly teeth - Not sure if this is true, or it just feels like it because my fingers are giving the wobbly sensation when I wiggle my teeth

�Blood -I can occasionally taste blood in my mouth though it's pretty subtle and I cannot see any in my saliva. My gums bleed sometimes but only in one area between to front teeth (only after brushing), though I think may have done something whilst flossing a week as it bled a bit then and has only done it since, but it's stopped mostly now. I was wondering if its from the scarring on me cheeks (if that's what it is)

�Neck pain - this is on and off as well. More down the right side of my neck (but does do it on left sometimes) normally under my chin but can be lower down. More of an achey sensation really. Not had it in about 4/5 days.

�Croaky voice - Mainly at night (which has been confirmed when I asked), though I swear it's been doing it all day today and yesterday, though tar could just be me as no ones else has mentioned it and said that I sounded normal when asked. Again this is usually on and off. And usually off.

I can still talk and eat food fine. And have no problem drinking.

Yeh, sorry for the long winded post. honestly I feel really guilty for posting here, as I've not been diagnosed with anything. I've just managed to scare myself from all my googling sessions, but i feel as though I have reason to worry. It's like when I can get my mind off of it, something else happens to get me thinking about it again. I'm so sure I have it that it's got to the point where it's the first thing I think about as soon as I wake up (and I mean as soon as I wake up) is how my mouth and tongue feel.

I've been to the doctor twice about it and they looked (only looked didn't feel it) at my tongue and throat and said they couldn't see anything wrong. Apart from today when I went about my throat and she said my throat was a little red. Though I had a cherry flavoured throat sweet thing about 30 mins before I saw her, so that may have made it a bit red (even though my tongue was same colour as usual).

I went to the dentist Tuesday about my tongue and tooth pain and he said that my foliate papillae are swollen but he doesn't think it is anything sinister and I've got to go back in 2 weeks so he can have a look again. But I'm worried as my tongue aches in places sometimes and I've had this swelling for over a month now. As well as the other symptoms that I didn't mention at the time as I was scared.

I'm sorry for the length of the post, it's just you hear all these horror stories of doctors and dentist missing things or disregarding symptoms based on age, so I'm really worried this is going to happen to me.

I guess it would help to give my age and stuff as well. 20 year old (21 in July) female, do not smoke, do not drink, do not have HPV and have never chewed tobacco. I have a previous history of poor oral hygiene and as a result have a number of fillings. I try to take much better care of my teeth now though.

I would try to go to an ENT or something but I'm from the UK and can only go through referral from the GP or dentist. There's also private care if course, but given that I'm currently unemployed and live with family, I have no way of being able to afford going private.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I'm sorry of I shouldn't have posted. But any help or advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.