Hello. My name is Kristi and I am scheduled to have a biopsy of a red spot inside my mouth below my lower lip on Tuesday. I don't know how long the 5mm X 9mm flat and painless spot has been there. The dentist discovered it at my recent checkup. He did a brush biopsy which he said came back suspicious. That is the only information he gave me. I had a dental checkup in April and he didn't say he saw this spot then. I don't smoke or drink but have had problems with HPV. I had no idea it caused oral cancer and I'm terrifed now. I've had abnormal Pap smears and LEEP surgery to remove a precancerous spot on my cervix. I'm currently 4.5 months pregnant with my third child and I'm 33 years old. If it's cancer, how can they treat a pregnant woman? I can see this spot getting bigger just since the dentist brought it to my attention. Would cancer grow that fast, in a matter of weeks? Can I ask the oral surgeon to just cut the whole spot out on Tuesday, rather than just biopsy it. With the Thanksgiving holiday, I have no idea how long it will take to get my results back.

I've also posted on the symptoms board hoping someone with a situation similar to mine can offer guidance.

This website and message board are wonderful and encouraging. I wish everyone here a blessed Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Thanks,
Kristi

Kristi hello from a former neighbor, used to live in Maryland Heights. I hope I can answer a couple of your questions. Don't know about the chances of the spot being cancer, Spot on my tongue didnt' exactly change day to day, just over a period of time. Good idea to have it checked though. While it's tempting to just say "take it out" at the first go round, the biopsy can be done as an outpatient procedure, just a small cut. Taking the whole spot out is a little more extensive and would probably require in-patient surgery.

As far as doing treatments while pregnant, just had an intersting conversation with my oncologist last week about this very subject. Wife and I are trying to "get pregnant" and I asked about how the radiation/chemo effected that chance. He said there are some cases where they'e had to treat pregnant women, and had no ill side effects as far as the baby is concerned. Radiation is pretty localized it seems, and I think they can adjust the chemo dose to compensate for the pregnancy.

I would think the latest you would get results back is the following Monday, depending on the lab and hospital you are dealing with. Here it was 3 days for report, and the pathologist is in house at the hospital. I'd find out from the oral surgeon exactly what the schedule is for the pathology report to be done.

Good luck, and try and stay calm.
Bob

Thanks for the reply, Bob. It's nice to hear from a former St. Louisan. It's good to know they can treat a pregnant woman with radiation. I'm still praying it won't come to that. I made it through the first week of waiting. Got my incisional biopsy today-OUCH! Glad that's over. The oral surgeon was positive and said other things besides cancer could cause an atypical result on the scratch biopsy. He said we just have to wait and see, obviously, but to be positive. I'm going to try. I'll post more when I know.

I hope things are going well for you and that you and your wife will be expecting soon. Happy Thanksgiving.

Take care,
Kristi