Hi

Can anyone help?

I have had pain in my neck for a while, think its due to lymph on left side being enlarged for a while now, but also have ear pain for months too.

Its weird cause in march i thought i had a lump in the floor of my mouth and kept getting at it and there was an ulcer on top of where i thought the lump was. Saw a maxillofacial oncologist who said the lump is probably just my duct, nothing odd, we all have lumpy mouths but he biopsied the ulcer as it hung around for months. Results were good, negative for cancer.

However, with the neck pain been exploring area and found that left neck gland is soft on right side but hard and lumpy left side where the pain is coming from. I also feel like my left ear has dried out i side.

I was a smoker, and i am 31. However, i crunched nicotine mints up in my mouth for two years trying to kick the habit and i am really paranoid that perhaps this has given me cancer in my salivary gland.

Can anyone advise?

Tam x

It sounds like a thorough oral cancer screening should be able to help you. If your symptoms have been there for 2 weeks or longer without getting better then seek out a professional to get checked out.

Best wishes!

Hi christine

My neck and ear have been bothering me for months, since february. I feel a bit let down by the doctors and the surgeon to be honest as i could feel so something amiss in my floor of mouth and he just said normal duct. The gp never sent me to ent??? Just an ultrasound. Any idea what ultrasounds can actually pick up? What was the point in that?

Thanks for replying x

I would push to see the ENT they are the person who would dx anything like this. If you can't get a referral (which really shouldn't be an issue) Then take the long way around,a dentist can refer you to dental surgeon - they too can do biopsies. hugs.

The ultrasound is superior in certain aspects than any other diagnostc scan such as in nodal involvement than the PET, CT, MRI. I just did one last week for a cervical neck lymph node, after a PET/CT scan. Each of the diagnostc scans are sometimes used interchangeably or to show more detail depending on area, and what they're looking for. When I was diagnosed, a salivary stone was found in the duct in floor of my mouth also. I don't recall off hand, which scan showed it or if it was the ENT's palpable exam, combination. As mentioned, see an ENT who sees hundreds, if not thousands of patients with similar symptoms. Good luck.

Get a CT scan to go with the ultrasound and see the ENT. He should do the fine needle biopsy on your neck. With these three items and his expertise you should get some answers. The neck growth, ear pain are familiar symptoms in my case. I went through same frustrations and could have been treated a year earlier. You have to drive the car if you know what I mean.

Thanks for advice cheryl, paul, and james xxx

Hi all

Saw the gp today, she felt the hard lump on the left of my neck glands think its submandimular or sublingual area?? Anyway she says yep most definately a hard lump attached in there. Felt my lymph node on same side and said proabably needs a biopsy as been there sometime. Cant believe this, saw a head and neck oncologist and had ult sound in march and here i am six months later! 31 years old with a five year old who i love dearly, im really despairing. All i can think of is how. Chewed nicotine lozenges for two years.

Being sent for chest x ray although lungs sound clear, she wants to see if there is an infection causing this firm mass and enlarged node then to ent. I just dont get why the oncolgist didnt do an x ray with dye when i thought i had a lump in mu mouth in the corresponding area, now a lump appears in the gland underneath.

Anyone experieced something in this area?

Xxx

Try not to dwell on the past and the what ifs. Many of us tried to get a dx for months. We started our journey in early April and did not have a dx until mid July. The everything moved very quickly. Course by then it was Stage IV.
Be persistent about trying to get things done quickly. You just sometimes have to be a little pushy.
We are here for you. Sorry you have to be here. Remember also that you don't know anything for sure without the biopsy.
Hang in there,
Kathy

Kathy

Thanks very much for getting back to me, it is a comfort. I have been turned away with the neck pain several times made to feel a hyperchondriac. Thank god i got a new doctor at a new practice and she acted on it straight away. Felt the mass within seconds and noticed the lymph too. Was honest that she couldnt say what it was and scheduled a chest x ray just to rule out lung infection too. She is also doing bloods so i should be thankful and i am. I just cant help thinking about those lozenges, i wanted to have tests done after i stopped my two year addiction to them but tests for what? There was nothing to test!! Just my paranoia and some ghastly side effects. I have been very positive getting on with things everyday and being a dedicated and happy homemaker and mother but i cant see what a firm mass in my gland attached to my gland and effecting my vocal cords could be, other than cancer.

I write in on this site when i had biopsy of my ulcer and saw an oncologist thinking there was a lump in my mouth at the same site in march and think its a brilliant site with amazing people. Thank god for sharing. X

The truth is..it ain't cancer till they can prove it. Worry robs you of the enjoyment of today and your 5 year old. Anxiety causes more stress and can lead to more problems. Biopsy will be about the only sure diagnostic tool at this point. Keep pushing but please take a breath and enjoy today. It will be gone by tomorrow and will never return. You have lost many, many today's since May. You have a gift before you and should this be cancer, every day up till the diagnosis you have been cancer free as far as you know.

Just my opinion.

Uptown

Thanks, true words. I live each day to the max, bar a few days. Today was just one of those. Life is truly a gift and we all have to be happy with what wonders we can enjoy and overcome adversity as i can see you are well placed to understand. Thanks for writing back.

I am fortunate as the change in doctor has made my life much easier. I have seen her once and she referred me straight away even calling me this afternoon to say ent will see me friday.

Xxx

Tamsin, just want to say pulling for you!!!

(((HUGS)))

Mamacita, i really appreciate that, thank you xxx

Hi Tamsin - I was so glad to hear that your change in doctor has made your life easier. It sounds like she really cares and is getting things going with the ENT appointment on Friday. Once you know for sure what is happening you will feel so much better. Just taking the right steps can make a person feel more in control and less anxious. You don't have too much longer to wait - Friday will be here very soon. How nice that you have a fire-year-old to help keep you busy and enjoy special times with. Hope everything goes well on Friday.

I have had 3 primary throat cancers and found each one before the doctor. With your history I think it is good to be looking all the time. Every day in the shower after washing my hair I feel all around the inside of my mouth looking for something that feels different on the left than the right or which feels harder than it should be. About once a week I get out the flashlight and look around the inside of my mouth and if I see a white or red area that doesn't clear up in two weeks I go to see the ENT. Finally that same once a week I feel all around the outside of my neck looking for anything that feels different than it did before. This kind of regular self check will go a long way toward reducing your fear from past nicotine usage.

Hi howard

It sounds like you have really been through the mill. But nineteen years without the cancer is amazing. Thank you for the advice, its really appreciated. What is bracytherapy?

X

Tamsin rest peacefully tonight. Tomorrow begins the answers to your concerns. Regardless of the results you will soon know. It may take some time though and additional tests. So be patient.

Tasmin, there is a search function on the forum where you can look up things like brachytherapy and find posts full of info. It just takes a few seconds to run a search.

Hey don't beat yourself up about the lozenges. It is just great you were able to quit the most addictive drug in the world called cigaretts. Hopefully you will get good news and this will be a benign cyst or something. Vigilant screening of your mouth every day to feel for things that might be different on one side than the other is a good way to gain some comfort. I have had three cancers and found each one before the docs did by doing this. Keep the faith.

Hi all,

Thanks for advice and kind words. Im just frustrated and fed up. I saw a maxillofacial surgeon for biopsy of an ulcer. I thought there was a lump underneath in my sublingual gland and he said probably just me normal duct, probably. Now it feels like s soft swelling underneath the ulcer scar which is still not healed. Why biopsy the ulcer? Why not biopsy the lump i feel underneath? This was six months ago!!

Short answer for brachytherapy: Radiation therapy with internal radioactive "seeds".

If you still have a lump and un healed ulcer after 6 months you need it checked again. hugs

I hear your frustration! I hope you get answers soon --