Hi All,
I'm 31 year old male and I have been smoking for about 13 years and drink a lot. Back in December I had a white spot appear on the inside of my mouth near the back and it ached for about a day and I ended up getting a cold which i quickly recovered from. I thought it was just from the cold but last month I did a routine check of my mouth and it is still there. Went to the doctors office last month in January and did a quick swab test which came out negative and the doctor told me if it doesn't go away in a few more weeks to come schedule a biopsy. Well it's been past few more weeks and I also tried antibiotics and it's still there. Also, I know it's allergy season but I never had allergies this severe before and sometimes I get mild ear aches. Has anyone else had allergies and cancer and could the cancer be causing the extreme allergies?? I have a biopsy scheduled for March 5th but am scared and have quit smoking since I found out.

-Sam

Hi Sam and welcome to OCF. First congrats on quitting. Second..I'm happy to hear you have a biopsy scheduled. It has been my experience that if something in your mouth doesn't heal within 2 weeks or so it's time to get it biopsied. As far as an allergy/cancer relation, I have not heard of anything like that.

I wish you much luck and please let us know what happens. Always feel free to ask any questions you can think of.

Suzanne

Thanks Suzanne and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

-Sam

Let us know what the biopsy says.

Good luck and lets hope for the best news.

Sam I was wondering how you are doing with your smoking? I know it can be difficult especially if you have smoked for a long time to break the habits that go with the cigarettes. Are you using any of the aids available like the patch or the gum?

Patty

Hi Patty,

I'm just doing it straight and cold turkey. Yeah it's really hard my physical craving is off the hook but I realize now the way to go is to go cold turkey and get through that first day and after that just keep at it. But if you have a relapse of just one cigarettes it makes it hard. But it's still hard I still get physical cravings.

An update: I just went to my dentist today and he saw the white patch, my patch is a recessed patch and my dentist hasn't seen anything like it but I asked him and he has seen oral cancer before. Says I should just get the biopsy so mine is still scheduled for March 5th. One other thing when I had colds before there have been times I have gotten this but it always went away after the cold. But this time it's been here for 3 months and the last 3 days I've been feeling really light headed. Anxious to get my biopsy.

Sam it does get easier after the first few days and you won't be physically craving the cigarettes. Keep telling yourself that if you ever have just one you will be smoking again. I have never seen anyone have just one. It is like an alcoholic and the drink.
Good luck and let us know how your biopsy goes.

Patty

sam - way to go on quitting now. smoking is like playing russian roulette ... it will get ya, it is just a matter of when ... I quit shortly before my diagnosis and am so glad I did ... and have not had once since. This has now been 8+ months now, and I still have days when a smoke is on my mind a LOT but each day it has gotten easier to say no ... and i tell you what, it feels good to be able to say NO to it and stick to it i had tried many times in years gone by to quit, and always ended up taking them back up ... but now - no friggin way! whether it was the smokes or another cause for the cancer, i am not playing games with them to find out what they will do ... and i am saving a bookoo lot of money! i smoked a pack of canadian (import) cigarettes a day ... that was about $8 a pack US funds ... That is $240 bucks mo +/- for me to play with *or pay medical bills with as the case may be *

i hope your biopsy is negative and that your smoking cessation plans go very well for you... don't quit

btw - i would suggest quitting the drinking too, as quickly as possible ... many studies show it adds to the risks of oral cancer and can increase the chances of it greatly ... so since you have a lesion, i am sure it is irritating it greatly to drink ... but that is in your court ...

i did want to add that symptoms similar to allergies have been noted in some places, as a symptom noticed for oral cancer BUT something as simple as thrush could also cause the lesion - so it is a two way street on this ...

hopefully your tests come back showing nothing abnormal ... then if you keep up the no smoking, you will increase your chances of living cancer free ...

i was shocked to hear 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women will have cancer in their lifetime ... WOW - i knew it was high but did not realize it was that high but that is what they said on our local news.

Hi Sam - welcome to the OCF and good on you for getting the biopsy done.

It's an awful thing to be even contemplating the possibility of this at our age (I'm 30). Best of luck with the biopsy, and definitely let us know how it goes.

Tamara

[quote=Sam K.]Hi Patty,

I'm just doing it straight and cold turkey. Yeah it's really hard my physical craving is off the hook but I realize now the way to go is to go cold turkey and get through that first day and after that just keep at it. But if you have a relapse of just one cigarettes it makes it hard. But it's still hard I still get physical cravings.

An update: I just went to my dentist today and he saw the white patch, my patch is a recessed patch and my dentist hasn't seen anything like it but I asked him and he has seen oral cancer before. Says I should just get the biopsy so mine is still scheduled for March 5th. One other thing when I had colds before there have been times I have gotten this but it always went away after the cold. But this time it's been here for 3 months and the last 3 days I've been feeling really light headed. Anxious to get my biopsy. [/quote]

Hi Sam,

I had an oral cancer scare last fall. About 3 weeks before I had to undergo an excisional biopsy of a submandibular lymph node I started taking Champix and quit smoking a week before the biopsy. I stopped taking Champix just before the biopsy (I couldn't sleep while taking it) and haven't had a smoke since. I smoked up to 2 packs a day for around 40 years. I fortunately don't have oral cancer however I do continue to read these forums on a daily basis and the terrible ordeals that some of these brave folks go through, or have gone through, is enough to keep me straight.

Good luck on both the health and smoking fronts.

Hey Guys,

Just went to go see the Neck and Throat specialist and he checked it out and diagnosed it as a recessed white scar and since it's been 3 months and it doesn't grow but it's rather recessed white patch. Says I shouldn't do a biopsy. Should only be concerned if it grows but really thinks it's a scar and my allergy is just that allergy and nothing to with that. I feel a whole lot better and now and really feel blessed. And to Mike yeah something really good came out of this, really got me to stop smoking. After reading up so much about oral cancer on this forum has set me straight. Thank you everyone for your support and good luck to all those fighting and keep fighting.

Sam,

Not to be a spoiler but if I were you I would get another opinion from a cancer center. Not all growth is visible and if it's been there that long without resolving itself I would pay more attention to it. JM2C's

Sam,

I agree with David. I am happy for you that the first doc you saw seemed to not be worried. Although white spots that don't go away make me worried. Obviously I'm not a docotr, but it can't hurt.

I will monitor it but if there's any growth then I will get a biopsy. Thanks everyone for your concerns.