Oral cancer stages or everythings fine?

[Michael2112]

Hello, I have posted this question to a few forums now and havn't really had much success, I'll try to type less and get right to the point. I have severe health anxiety and ocd. I clench my jaw, suck my lip, rub my tongue against mouth and bite lips/tongue while I sleep, all from being very nervous from the constant anxiety. I can controll it during the day, not at night. I have the bite lines on cheek and matching line on the side of tongue, although I think the line on sides of tongue is no longer visable, sorta depends on how bad im clenching jaw at night. I also have had a little white mucous sack appear from time to time right on the area of the lower gums where the tip of tongue could rub and no where else in my mouth. The little sack is painless and is always gone the next day. Sometimes I will go 5-7 momths without one showing up. This is the important part, I went to my doctor about five yeara ago with these issues, she said it was mucous sack and the lines were from stress biting, sorta like callusus on your finger tips. For five yeara nothing has changed, no pain, no growth no nothing. I do not drink or smoke and i'm 27 years old, if I had oral cancer wouldn't it progress through stages? Spreading to lymp nodes maybe? Painfull lumps or sores? My mental health doctor once said that cancer doesn't come and go it stays and grows, or something. I read something about a five year survival rate for oral cancer, something with percentages but I'm not sure what it meant. I would just like to know if this is ridiculous or not? Can anyone that has experience or maybe has asked their dentist the same thing help me out here. If you could, please don't teach me any new issues that I was unaware of, I'll just have more to worry about. I would just like to know If I did have oral cancer how fast would it progress, it's been fifve years of feelin fine. Unfortunatly I always have some illness that I think i'm dying from and now it's back to this. Thanks for any help

[Sam Winter]

Hi there! x
i have been in a similar position before(throat cancer is my poison plus i have an aunt with ovarie cancer) i'm not going to lie cancer can last that long but not without noticing changes, it defo would of changed somehow, more pain, looking more pale, fatigued, ect. your mental health worker was right cancer just continues to grow, it never gives you a break basically, i'd trust in your doctor a bit more because i doubt it's anything dangerous :)

[Captain irrational]

You would know fairly quickly if you had oral cancer. Usually it presents itself as a growth or lump in the mouth that doesnt heal and continually grows in size. And you would definitely know if it had spread elsewhere in the body, because you start to feel very unwell indeed.

You have neither of those signs, nor are you in the age group normally affected by oral cancer (over 40) and you don't engage in the activities that cause the majority of oral cancers (almost 75% are caused by tobacco use). I don't think you need to worry.

[Fishmanpa]

"I would just like to know if this is ridiculous or not?"

I'm a Stage IV oral cancer survivor. None of what you describe remotely presents as oral cancer (.) period!

And yes, it's ridiculous......

Positive thoughts

[Michael2112]

Hey thanks everyone, I appretiate anyone taking the time to help. Unfortunatley sometimes I read into things and mentally run with certain things, in the message from Sam Winter, what did you mean by pale and fatigued? I'm very pale but I never go outside, I'm also fatigued but I have severe depression from years of untreated anxiety/OCD would that pretty much explain those things? I know this all seems like common sense but thats not how I'm thinking lately. I'm not sick or weak though, I realize that cancer could last that long but I was just assuming that with five years of untreated oral cancer I would pretty much be on my death bed by now. I've read so many things I forget most of it but I thought I remember reading something about a guy that refused chemo or any treatment and went downhill as stages progressed, needing a care giver and wheel chair or something at some point. It sounded pretty severe. For me I try and workout everyday and was even running/jogging every night anfew months ago. Any additional help would be much appretiated from you guys, thankyou

[UnhappyWorrier]

I'm not an expert, someone correct me if I'm wrong - but from what I've learned these things progress and grow rapidly, it's not just a small bump that's just there.

I have something resembling a mucus sac or a papilloma in my mouth that's been there for quite a while (in fact, I don't remember the time when it wasn't there) with no comments about it from my dentist and people here reassured me it's harmless, so I think your situation is similar.

[Michael2112]

Papilloma? I'm not sure what that is, I looked it up and what comes up is HPV, I had read that HPV is a reason that younger people may get oral cancer. Either way thinking that my mucous sacks that come and go may be HPV, that was not good for me to read. I do not have rational thoughts at the moment. This may have opened a new door, I know you were just trying to help though

---------- Post added at 20:00 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

Ok upon further reading it says Papilloma is some sort of tumor, that could be on a mucous membrane... Some of rhe info says benign, more reading to do.. Not good though

---------- Post added at 20:29 ---------- Previous post was at 20:00 ----------

While reading I came across some devastating info:


Oral benign HPV lesions are mostly asymptomatic and may persist or relapse spontaneously. The first part of this exercise will explain how to diagnose and treat some of the most common HPV-associated lesions of the oral cavity. The remainder of the discussion will investigate various links between certain HPV strains and oral cancer.

Common HPV-associated lesions
Squamous papilloma. The most common benign epithelial neoplasm of oral epithelium, squamous papilloma lesions may be found anywhere in the mouth with a predilection for the ventral tongue and frenum area, palate, and mucosal surface of the lips.2 Oral papillomas can be recognized by their small fingerlike projections, resulting in an exophytic lesion with a rough or cauliflowerlike verrucous surface (Figure 1). These lesions often have a white appearance and can occur in any age group. Squamous papilloma lesions are thought to be induced by HPV 6 or 11.3 The typical treatment is surgical excision. All lesions resembling a squamous papilloma are recommended for excision at the base (1-mm margin) to the depth of the submucosa.4 Removal should also be considered the cure. Recurrence or appearance of new lesions suggests the possibility of retransmission of a condyloma acuminatum or a carcinoma.4

[UnhappyWorrier]

Stop reading, now. Googling is putting ridiculous ideas into your head. Of all the times I've googled some symptom or change in my body, I've only found bad and scary info. I'm pretty sure if you googled cramps you'd come up with something that relates it to cancer. Whatever you find on google has nothing to do with actual reality.

Also, doesn't HPV cause warts that are found on genitals? You're talking about your mouth.

[Michael2112]

I know reading is bad but it's an obvesive problem I have, trying to quickly learn about this issue, apparently there is something called oral HPV, I have already read too much, now I need to try and find someone who understands this, there seems to be alot of info that cannot really be dissproved like some people having no symptoms for years and what not. I really have no idea. Whats done is done though. The only solution now is to try and understand it. There's so many horrible things to read online. If there was no internet, everyone with anxiety would have a far better life

[Mercime]

Did you actually read Fishmanpa's post? I disagree about the Internet. Used properly, it can be incredibly helpful in getting better.