i have just read our local hospital's reasons for oral cancer.. poor oral hygine.. ok they mentioned smoking ect.. but the inference was self inflicted... there will be a complaint in writting for this... oh that it was so easy to blame us..for our own downfall... b***s
Helen

Can you post the local hospital's reasons for oral cancer? I would like to read them.

Helen, I have accepted that the fact that I used to smoke a bit and have over the years consumed vats of wine was a major contributing factor to my developing oral cancer. I think I am to blame. I know people who have smoked a great deal longer and more, and who have consumed alcohol to excess who do not have oral cancer. Perhaps I drew the short straw, but I put myself in position to draw that straw. Had I never smoked even that little bit, or consumed alcoholic beverages, it is a good bet I would not be on this forum. Just my way of looking at it.

I must say I find it quite amazing to see oral hygiene listed as a reason for oral cancer, by a hospital yet to boot! I still wonder why Heather got tongue cancer and believe me, poor oral hygiene was not a factor any more than was tobacco or alcohol use. She took better care of her teeth than anyone else in our family and had only 2 small cavities. According to her ob-gyn, she did not have HPV either. Although, I don't think anyone ever thought to actually test the tumor tissue to be sure. Talk about drawing the short straw. I'd say she drew the shortest one possible.

Joanna,
It is refreshing to read that you actually accept the blame for your cancer. I think you are in the minority. But, if your smoking was truly minimal, you may be mistaken in accepting blame. If the typical case is a 60+ year old male who has smoked for 30 or more years, I really don't think you come close to fitting the profile. I don't think even the vats of wine make up for the lack of heavy smoking. Even my Dad, who died of oral cancer, didn't get it until he was in his 60's and he was a HEAVY (as in alcoholic) drinker and smoker. And, had he gone to the dr. when he first had a mouth sore, he very likely would have survived. Well, actually, he wouldn't have because he wouldn't have stopped smoking or drinking, but at least he would have probably won the first round or two. I think that is what makes me the maddest when I compare Heather's case to the typical case. Most smokers get the warning signs early enough that they can be diagnosed in time to be treated while the cancer is still at stage 1 or 2. Heather, and I would guess quite a few other non-smokers, don't have detectable symptoms until late in the game. It was less than 4 months from her first symptoms until her surgery and she was already at stage 4. God, Buddha, Muhammad or whoever is supposedly up there watching over us somehow missed the boat on her. She didn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

As far as it being a good bet you wouldn't be on this forum if not for your alcohol and tobacco use, I beg to differ. You may have drawn the short straw anyway. Many, many forum members were not tobacco or alcohol users, but here they are! Just my 2 cents!

Rainbows & hugs,
Rosie

I agree with Rosie it was very well said.
I was never a heavy smoker nor did I drink in excess. Sure when I was 18 to 21 I drank and partied with the rest........but that came to a screeching halt when I realized I could end up like my Father and Grandfather. "Alcoholics" and looking at the underside of the turf.
I know they sometimes say that Cancer is also in large bad genetics. But, just sometimes I wonder especially when reading about some of the other members, are some of use paying for the sins of our Fathers?
Just a thought...........

David

I have to say that is very offensive. I didn't smoke or drink nor do I have the HPV. In '92 I was
in an auto accident with a drunk driver, my bottom lip was almost cut off, and the bones in my face were crushed, my mouth was wired closed for 6 weeks. I was on a liquid diet for about 8 wks. because I couldn't open my mouth. All this and my dentist said I had a very clean mouth, becase I cleaned very often with a waterpik. I had lots of reconstrution to my mouth and lots of
X-Rays, but no one would say that it's the X-Rays, even my ENT said I will never know!!!

Helen-

I did not "fit the statistics" either. Age 50, female, non-smoker, drinik maybe one glass of wine once a week. And few cavities. Maybe if Doctors and hospitals could be educated to keeping an open mind and not making patients fit a mold they might diagnose these types of cancer sooner. I'd certainly send a letter to that hospital with a few xrays of my teeth! - Kris

Hi, I didn't fit the statistics either, age 44, female, non smoker and I do believe that because of that information, I was put off for months by my dentist about the sore on my tongue...he gave me antibiotics cuz he couldn't see anything wrong with my teeth! And in the meantime,the cancer moved into two lymph nodes. I agree with Kris, maybe if the Doctors and hospitals, and certainly Dental Professionals, could be educated to keeping an open mind and not immediately write off cancer cuz you don't smoke, these types of cancer might be diagnosed sooner.

I'm only 40 and won't be 41 for three more months. I took better care of myself than my buddies took care of themselves and was comparatively very moderate in my vices. By the numbers I'm way too young for my cancer to have been caused by smoking and drinking. As I have said on other threads, I believe it is a roll of the dice as to whether you get sick or not. It's not God's will and it's not punishment for past behavior. There is no justice or fairness to it any more than there is any justice or fairness in the rest of the natural world. It is completely offensive to me that anyone in the medical community would view this as intentionally self-induced. I have never met anyone who would wake up and say they were going to try and get cancer today. The acts of smoking and drinking are only a statistical correlation to increased chances of getting sick. Participation in these activities is no guarantee that you will get sick anymore than abstenance from these things guarantess that you won't get sick. Until there's something more concrete than statistics and theory, it's still a roll of the dice.

-Brett

I totally agree with Brett. Rather than driving yourself crazy asking why. Seek the best treatment you can. Statistics are with most oral cancer patients. I, like Heather, who was younger than me when detected, didn't do anything to bring this on. Non-smoker, once a month driiker, and no HPV, no family history either. We all have the risk for cancer by being alive, but it's just weather that switch is flipped for the cells to go haywire that determineds whether we get cancer or not. What we do in life can increase the risk that the switch will be thrown, but not the only factor. We do live in a fallen world and God is as sad as you are that you are sick.

For what it's worth
Lynn