i was diagnosed with low grade mucoerperdermoid carcinoma in novemeber, after which i had an mri scan to see how big the tumor was, anyway the scan was fine it did not spread, but they said i had a slightly enlarged gland, so i got booked in for an ultra sound, i had that and they said all is fine, after this i had my first op, and went on to have another in february and after this op i was told all margins were clear and eveything was fine just regular check ups now anyway the gland behind my ear comes up now and again only slightly,its up at the moment, sometimes i get not exactly pains just slight discomfort but barely at all, but i am really worried about it, also i am meant to have monthly check ups but missed my one the other day because i have moved house and in the process of switching hospitals, so cant really go at the moment, also i have a small tiny little bump which just feels like skin on the opposite side to where i had the cancer in my mouth, i think i lay on my cheek in the night and caught it, but i am really worried about that too it just does feel like skin but obviously i am terrified, ikno people on here are not doctors but i just wondered if anyone knows if its normal thanks i am 17 by the way if that makes a difference at all

Wow Gemma,

You've got a lot on your plate for a 17 year old my dear, I'm very glad that you've found OCF.

The only way to tell if the gland or lump is cancer is a biopsy. An ultra sound, MRI, PET, CT etc's will only show an area of concern that has to be biopsied to tell if it's in fact cancer by running a pathology report on the sample. To ease your mind, have your medical team biopsy the gland and the lump as it's the only way to get the definitive answer you'll need to keep your imagination and fears from getting the better of you.

I hope you find answers my young friend, the people on these forums are here to give advice and support, I hope you use them often. Liz (Cookey) on these forums is from the UK and may be able to help direct and guide you through your system if you have any questions there, literally the gal is an expert and would be a great resource.

Best of luck and keep your chin up.

Eric

Glands can get large for many reasons but it is always best to show your ENT - and have it biopsied - good luck! And I very much hope it's nothing!

i have had many "enlarged" glands and lumps that i have felt over the last year that all have turned out to be nothing important, or just scar tissue or just still enlarged from surgery or radiation.

I hope you can get back into seeing someone again soon. It is pretty important to keep seeing a good doc for this, especially with how aggressive it can be, and they say it can be more aggressive with younger age!

Sorry you are going through this at 17, I thought it was bad enough to go through at 25, but 17! You will be that much stronger in the end, but I am still sorry to hear you are going through something like this at your age!

thanks for all the replies everyone, they really helped, i had an appointment today, the little lump which is tiny is just where i have caught my gum, and my glands were fine, were up abit but this is down to having a kidney infection,but the doctor said everything is fine and its heeling really well, he was actually surprised how wide i could open my mouth lol

THANKS!