Hello, firstly sorry if this is wasting anyone's time. I understand oral cancer is a serious issue and don't want to take time away from real problems if I'm just a 'worried well'.

I am male, 30, I've been smoking cigarettes for 12 years and I also enjoy drinking spirits. The last few weeks the area behind my wisdom tooth has been sore. I thought it might have been an infected wisdom tooth, but yesterday I took a photo of it and it looks like a red mark in the tissue above and behind the tooth.

It doesn't seem to be getting better. I've been rinsing with a salt water solution. Should I be worried, or just keep an eye on it?



Many thanks.

I'm not going to look at the picture because I am not a doctor. Please find a medical professional to look at the sore. It might save your life.

Trecorum

If it doesn't get better in a couple of days then make an appointment with an ENT Specialist. If the doctor feels the need then some further test will be ordered . Cancer cannot be diagnosed just by an exam .

Just relax and think positive. Like I've learned on this forum It's not cancer unless a Biopsy says it is.

Good Luck
Heidi

The "rule" goes like this... If you have a sore in your mouth that has not healed itself within 2 or 3 weeks then its time to get it checked by a professional. By that I mean an ENT who specializes in treating oral cancer patients. they should be the most experienced and will have a good suspicion of what is going on after a thorough exam. Only thru a biopsy would they be certain if it is cancerous or not. Dont play around, go get checked out. Its likely to take a few weeks before you know for certain what you are dealing with.

I understand its a stressful time right now but you MUST quit using tobacco and alcohol. Give your mouth a chance to heal without all the known cancer causing additives in tobacco. After a few days you might get lucky and your mouth could heal after its stopped being exposed to all those chemicals. Im a former smoker myself so I know its not easy. Today Im missing half my lower jaw all due to my "habit". If I could go back in time and have been smart enough to quit when I was your age, I probably wouldnt look like this today. Please let this be your wake up call to change your lifestyle.

Good luck!


PS... None of our members would be able to tell what it going by looking at a photo. We are a group of oral cancer patients and caregivers. Even doctors cant make that determination visually. Hope its nothing serious!

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. It seems to be getting better today.

But I think I will try giving up smoking again very soon. The cigarettes and spirits might have caused an ulcer or something.

Thanks again and best wishes.

With all due respect,

You're a smoker and drinker who has fears of cancer. We all have had it or have it and are fighting to regain our lives. To come on a cancer forum, sporting habits that have got some of us here and ask us to look at a picture of your mouth is in many ways disrespectful.

As recommended, see your doctor or an experienced ENT to rule out anything sinister and if you don't want to walk that path we did, then stop the behavior that can and will get you there.

Thinking about giving up smoking and spirits is not an option.

I truly hope you spend enough time here to read of the misery OC causes and it scares you enough to listen to reason.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

[quote=fishmanpa]With all due respect,

You're a smoker and drinker who has fears of cancer. We all have had it or have it and are fighting to regain our lives. To come on a cancer forum, sporting habits that have got some of us here and ask us to look at a picture of your mouth is in many ways disrespectful. [/quote]

I am very sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect. I can understand that it came across as disrespectful and offer my sincere apologies.

I know I have bad habits and I guess I have been cavalier and ignorant. I appreciate the suffering and misery cancer causes and I should have thought twice about posting my situation.

Apologies again and best wishes.

Actually you are more than welcome to post your issues here we are here to help. I wasn't offended since I do understand the fear. Some (not all here) do have a history of smoking or drinking and regret where it has brought them.

I think the upset is related to the fact that you said you may try to give up these behaviors soon. It's kind of like playing with a time bomb, once you see a friend's arms and legs get blown off maybe it's time for you to stop. All of our members are scarred in some way from this treatment and cancer, some are permanently disfigured.

This scare may be a warning sign - you know one of those big flashing lights that says HAZARD STOP!!!!! So to continue to smoke and drink seems cavalier.

My mom was a heavy smoker and coffee drinker, (no booze) she told me they'd seen something on a chest X-ray - I told her up front, if this ends up being cancer we'll fight it, if it's not- consider this a warning and give up the cigarettes - well it was too late for her. She did end up quitting because she was so sick she couldn't even eat, her biopsy came back positive for lung cancer, and they fast tracked chemo (the first batch was an old style chemo given to her literally 2 days after dx - this allowed her to feel well enough to go home for Christmas,) she finished treatment 6 months later had a few shots of rads to the head, and lived for 2.5 more years before the cancer spread to her brain (6 tumors - several the size of an egg) she died 2 months before her 60th birthday. (The dr told me when he gave me the news that she had maybe 3 years to live) her cancer if caught In the early stages had a much higher survival rate, but once it shows up on an X-ray it's already stage 4 and pretty much terminal - 5% survival rate) oral cancer (non HPV related) has a 35% survival rate if you continue to smoke.

So - I guess you can gather what my advice is... Soon isn't soon enough... How about NOW? Hugs