OK all, I'm probably just ultra-sensitive to things in my mouth these days (tongue cancer diagnosis in October, surgery to remove SCC tumor followed by 30 IMRT treatments into mid-January).

But a few days ago, I noticed three tiny white bumps on the right, front tip of my tongue (my tumor was on the left side, and more toward the side and back). I'm thinking it's just an infection or somehow I've aggrivated my tongue pretty good because I'm just now starting to eat "real" food again, and I'm probably overdoing it with meatballs and pizza and friend fish. But of course, I'm a little nervous of white bumps on my tongue considering all I've been through these past few months.

I saw my oral surgeon today who said without hesitation "Oh, you just have some ulcers on your tongue." But then he proceeded to tell me that if it doesn't heal in a few weeks and if the antibiotics he was going to prescribe didn't help, then he would do a biopsy on it... Not very convincing that this isn't something I should worry about... He also said my cancer "was low on the list" the first time I saw him about my original ulcer back in September-October...

Anyway, I guess I'm on edge about the "R" word (recurrence) and was wondering if anyone else had the same kinds of things happen on their tongue post-radiation, especially when trying to test the mouth with more coarse foods... Thanks for any help you can provide (at least my constipation is taken care of for now, Gary and Minnie... hehe )

Eric

Hi Eric,
Glad to hear you are back in the flow of things!
Concerning your tongue, go back and read some of my postings on an ulcer on my tongue. It reared its head the end of October and is still there, albeit much smaller and not as ugly. My doctor said the same thing to me when I first saw him for this sore. It wasn't gone in two weeks so we biopsied it, all the while my doctor assuring me it was not cancer. He was right, it is a sore from the radiation and they take a long time to heal. Some people have them up to over a year after finishing radiation. Something Brian put in one of his posts to me was this, "be prepared mentally for the TONS of things that you will find in your mouth that are not cancer". Eric, these things will scare the you know what out of you (oops, there's that subject again) but try to follow Brian's advice on it. I was looking in my mouth approx. 500 times a day, I have lowered it to about 100 now!! Seriously though, I remember finding that sore in my mouth, about 4 months out of radiation, I had just started to really EAT and boom, this sore comes up. Boy did it scare me. Listen to your doctor. Knowing your history, if he had any idea it was cancer he would biopsy it now.
Take care, Minnie

Eric, when my sense of taste returned and I began to eat real food (what a joy!) I repeatedly burned my tongue with food that was too hot. It has only been in the last few weeks, 18 months out, that I can drink a hot cup of coffee or enjoy a hot bowl of soup. As long as you and a doc are watching the spots, I don't think it is anything to lose sleep over. Just another rad after effect, and some people have many. You are doing well.

I developed a sore on the side of my tongue just after I started eating again. It gets smaller and almost seems to heal up until I eat something that irritates it. It has been at least 16 months since i finished radiation. It is next to an implanted tooth so I wonder if the scatter from radiation has caused this area to be more sesitive. Anyway, I wonder if it will ever heal up. Doesn't stop me from eating almost anything though...

I had forgotten until just now, but when I first began eating, I had not adjusted to a partially numb tongue and repeatedly lacerated it when eating. Had to explain to the ENT at checkup so he wouldn't get all excited about the swollen place on the side. Lots of things in one's mouth are not cancer!