Hi Denise,

I discovered my tumor directly behind my right lower wisdom tooth. My gums felt a little irritated after having a breath mint so while brushing, I looked really good and found that ugly bump behind my tooth. I thought maybe I had an infected tooth or something, so went into my dentist right away.

The dentist referred me to an oral surgeon and wanted me seen immediately. The oral surgeon, lacking a bedside manner told me point blank it was a tumor, would be major surgery if it was cancer and minor surgery if it was not. Two days later I had my wisdom tooth pulled and biopsy done. I waited for two weeks in complete panic...to go in and find out the biopsy was lost! So, I had to have it rebiopsied (this time done by needle biopsy) and got results the following day of an early grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of small salivary gland.

Because I had to be followed by a health care provider rather than an oral surgeon, I had to be reffered into Naval Medical center Balboa. There I was followed by the head and neck specialist. I had a ct, and pet scan which showed it hadn't spread and didn't have cancer anywhere else.

My surgeon removed the tumor and took frozen sections all around the tumor and some from my jaw bone. All came back clear of cancer with the exception of the tumor. They had the tumor sent to Maryland for pathology and I guess after some argument among the tumor board they decided it was adenocarcinoma of the small salivary gland.

I then the lab that had the original biopsy apparently had found it and tested it. It came back mucoidepidermal carcinoma again... SO, Im not really sure which lab is correct. The head and neck specialist said it doesn't really matter. They pretty much act the same and are treated the same no matter what. And that pathologists could argue the point on both for hours...LOL. SO what should I call it? Cancer...no matter what an ugly word.

I was told that my tumor was pretty much contained with the exception of nerve tissue they found inside of it. My radiologist had only seen my type of cancer 4 times in his career and the first time he hadn't seen it spread and caught early. I was told that if the cancer came back it would probably come back in the exact same spot. Which makes me hopeful that this lesion was caused from a reaction to the medication and me picking at it. Ive had it for atleast six months and is unchanged since the swelling went down. Oh, Id also like to add that my original doctor never scoped down my nose & throat for my salivary gland cancer after the initial visit. He said there was no need to. This new doctor does. My mouth gets sores in it with the slightest things now. Radiation does wonders!