| | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2 | For the last 2 months I have had a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. And from last week middle part of my tongue on the sides are hurting like crazy and yesterday I discovered a sore type thing on the right side of my tongue. I am scared and I am stressed. I am hoping it isn't cancer. What do you think? | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | Get to an ear nose & throat doctor (ENT) and have them take a look. There are many things that can cause these symptoms so don't panic. Your dentist may also be able to give you a check up on your oral health so you may want to try that first but an ENT is a better bet.
Good luck
Kelly
Male
48, SCC (Soft Palet) Rt.,
Stage 1, T3n0m0,
Dx, 8-09, Start IMRT 35 9-2-09 end 10-21-09
04-20-10 NED
8-11 recurrence, node rt. neck N2b
10-11 33 IMRT w/chemo wkly
3-12-12 PET - residual cancer
4-12 5 treatments with Cyberknife & Erbitux
6-19-12 Pet scan CLEAR
12-3-12 PET - CLEAR
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 43 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 43 | Kelly speaks the truth. Don't freak out, get into a medical professional, I found my dentist to be the easiest to get in to if you don't have any other regular physicians.
Type and stage of cancer:1st - SCC left base of oral tongue non HPV, T3N1M0 hemi-glossectomy 60 node rem, radX35 carboplatnum &Erbitux X6, Peg tube, lost 55 lbs
2nd - SCC right base oral tongue, surgery, Cisplatin & Erbitux x 16
3rd - SCC right base oral tongue, surgery, hope.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2 | I am sorry. I should have introduced myself. My name is Sadly(Not kidding). I went to the dentist last Saturday and he didn't find anything that looked like cancer so I made an appointment to see a doctor next Tuesday. But yesterday Some kind of sore popped up on the right side of the tongue and my tongue pain has been going on for 2 weeks. And sore throat and difficulty swallowing for 1 month. I am just really nervous and stressed out. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | We have a saying around here...it's not cancer until a biopsy PROVES it's cancer...so stop worrying and get an appt w/ an ENT and let them decide what the next course of action will be. Remember NO ONE can look at your mouth and tell you something is cancer!
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | Sadly,
First, don't freak out, it only cranks up your cortisol levels and lowers your immune system so keep it together. There are a ton of things that could be going on inside your mouth besides cancer, so where it's easy to jump to conclusions and freak out, let's save the emotional responses until after a biopsy and the pathology report that confirms or denies actual cancer. I know it's hard but just do me a solid.
Your first step after calming down, is to schedule an appointment with an Ear Nose and Throat Dr, or ENT, and have the area of concern checked out and biopsied. A biopsy is the only way that cancer can be determined, not by the naked eye, not from pictures or descriptions over the internet, nor any type of scans...only by sample tissue sent to pathology. This will also help with peace of mind, and it sounds like you need that, so schedule an appointment and insist on having a biopsy done on the area that concerns you.
Let us know when the results are in, in the meantime take your mind off of it and try to hang on to sanity.
Good luck,
Eric
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | Yup! If for no ther reason than to ease your mind get to an ENT. Hugs and good luck
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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