Oral Cancer - What do you think?

[Kittyslippers]

First time poster. Just a quick background on me - I have pretty bad health anxiety and I've had it all my life. Found out I got it from my father. Guess it's a genetic thing :) Every time I have been afraid that I had something terrible it never turned out true. That should be enough for me to realize that I am spiraling again here but, well, I think we all know how health anxiety works. You always think "THIS" time I really have it!

So I wanted to know your thoughts or if you've had any similar experiences to mine. Back in August this year I had a really bad canker sore. REALLY bad. Whenever food or something would aggravate it it would start throbbing and the whole side of my mouth would twitch. I remember thinking to myself "wow, this one is really bad." I've never had one hurt so much. Fast forward to now and I have a weird white mark where it used to be (or at least, where I think it used to be... I cannot remember if that was the exact location or not, unfortunately). It looks like healed tissue, but I've never had that happen before. Where it's kind of concave and white? I really don't know how to describe it other than that.

I asked my dentist about it and first he couldn't even see it. And then when I pointed it out to him he did see it but didn't seem concerned at all. I asked him what he thought it might be and he didn't have an answer. I didn't think canker sores could..."scar"? If that's even what this was? I should have taken comfort from this, especially since last time I pointed out an issue to him he immediately referred me to someone else "just to be safe". For this, he had no concerns whatsoever.

Well I stopped worrying over it for a while...but then as I was eating I noticed it was hurting. Like it felt weird, like extra sensitive or something. I thought I might as well get a second opinion by another dentist and again, he didn't notice it at first. When I pointed it out to him he saw what I was talking about and also couldn't say what it was. He thought maybe the tissue just healed weird or something. I asked him if he thought it might oral cancer and he shook his head. He was very doubtful. But he said I could be referred for a biopsy if I was worried. So I made an appt and that is next week.

I did a bad thing and read online about people who had dentists tell them the same thing and then it ended up being bad...I know that's stupid for people like us. I know getting 2 professional's opinions and both of them not being worried is a good sign but I guess you just never know. I figured getting a biopsy would finally give me peace of mind.... ((except until you read about people who had biopsies that came back negative and they turned out to have cancer. I cant win!!!!!!!))

What are your thoughts? Has anyone experienced anything like this before? It's just SO weird because there is literally nothing online that resembles anything close to what i'm seeing in my mouth so I dont know what to think. Thanks for reading this.

[Fishmanpa]

I'm not an HA sufferer but I am an oral cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma - Stage IVa) survivor. You don't have cancer.

Positive thoughts

[Munchlet]

Hi

I had to reply to your post as I'm going through something similar!

I too have a white concave part on the roof of my mouth which gets sore when I floss in that area, now why I've just noticed this I don't know as it's probably been there years but because I'm focusing on it I've noticed it feels sore and I can put my tongue in the gap.

What I do remember interestingly is that several years ago during dental treatment the dentist accidentally caught the roof of my mouth with the drill and I had the worst Ulcer I'd ever had in that area, which took forever to go.

I have the dentist on Tuesday and I'm petrified but I think it's probably been there a while and I'm now giving it attention and thinking it feels sore etc etc.

Some ulcers can scar. I get mouth ulcers and have done all my life but I know there is a certain type which are bigger, normally only appear one at a time and when they heal they can leave a scar so I'm wondering if that was the case with you and I'm hoping it's the case with me.

The normal little mouth ulcers generally don't but they come and go in a few days but the bigger ones definitely can scar.

It sounds fine, you've had it checked and dentists are very good at spotting and referring for things that they are concerned about.

[Kittyslippers]

Hey sorry I just saw your post. How did your dentist visit go? Sounds like you have the same thing!! And there us NOTHING on the internet about it! Not sure if you had the same experience.

Isnt it crazy when our health anxiety manifests into a fixation/obsession? It really sucks. I wish I knew how to manage it better. Medicine helps but...it doesnt cure.

As for the mark in my cheek, Fishmanpa really helped with his comment. He would know since hes had it haha. But I still did get a biopsy done a couple days ago for peace of mind. The oral surgeon was like 99% sure it isnt anything to worry about. He told me not to lose sleep over it but was just super kind about my worries. He said that white tissue is typically not something he worries about.

I will let you know when I get my results in 2 weeks. I do feel better after I have had 3 professionals reassure me... but now I have another mark that I'm worried about! I had a canker back in late december and it has healed but there is still a slight red mark where it was. It's taking it's time going away. So....I guess our minds just jump to one thing and then another. I wish I wasnt this way.

I hope your visit went well. I'd love to know.

[pav1984]

I thought I would mention my experience as I think it will put your mind at rest.

Back in May I had a bad canker sore and lasted 3 to 4 weeks of hurting. It stopped hurting but like you say a mark remained (still there).

Dentist referred me to hospital to double check but reassuring me it was nothing to worry about.

I went to hospital who confirmed dentists opinion and said I would have been very ill had it been anything sinister.

Like you probably have done I had searched google and convinced myself the worst.

There is a reason doctors and dentists study so hard so stay off google and trust your doctor/ dentist.

I thought this may help.