You asked how we knew we had cancer....
Mine was on my gums, starting on the outside of a rear upper molar, where most of us get chewing injuries or aphthus ulcers. I complained of a tender area and an earache at my dental checkup. My dentist did not give it much attention. His notes say, "note some pocketing."
Six months later, I complained again, and he said that he "notes some pocketing" again and this time he cauterized the area! eek!
He did not have me return, nor did he consider that it might be serious.
Two months later, I felt an odd area on my palate, near that tooth. I looked myself, and it was very, very clear to me that something was not right! I could see that this area of concern on the outside (cheek) of the gums had spread along the gumline, and that it was also appearing now on the inside gumline, spreading the other direction, and that it had spread onto the hard palate. The areas were not terrible-looking...red, angry, with some speckles that sometimes were more obvious than at others. The area on the palate was round-ish, a little raised, but essentially flat.
I returned to the dentist, and can you believe this??? He STILL did not consider that it could be cancer! He CAUTERIZED it again, gave me an antibiotic, and sent me on my way, again without any sort of suggestion to return.
I did return the next day, insisted on being seen, and he eventually came out of his office, did not look inside my mouth but sent me downt he block to the periodontist (gum disease dentist) still insisting that this was periodontal disease.
The perio. immediately knew that it was cancer and sent me across the street (small town) to the oral surgeon, who also knew that it was cancer and immediately took an excisional biopsy.
The rest is history.
It is very obvious that my dentist did not know enough to recognize the cancer, even when it was classic and right in front of his face. He also was notnotnot up to date on the current mindset of watching for improvement in oral lesions and then doing biopsies sooner, rather than later.
And I was not informed either....not informed enough to insist....insist....on a return visit in a week to be certain that his treatment was being successful. THAT is a message that we must get out to the public.
So I, like so many others here, went undiagnosed for far too long, and of course it affected the extent of my surgery.
I am very fortunate--so far--to be cancer-free at nearly two years. But if I do turn up with some metastasis, I will feel that it was because it had so much time to travel undetected.
So far, so good.
BTW--I have not, of course, returned to that dentist, nor have we spoken. I had wanted a face-to-face with him, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. I might have to settle for writing him a letter. At least that way I can be certain to say what I wish to say.
He fell down on his duty. I should have been able to presume a certain level of proficiency in the professional care he offered to me, and his offense against me was clearly "a failure to diagnose." He failed to diagnose my cancer.....failed to even consider it out of either ignorance or arrogance. I don't know which.
What's done is done, and I don't choose to dwell on the negative feelings that thinking about him bring out for me. I am doing well, in spite of his inadequate treatment of me, and I thank God every day for that.
