Oral Cancer Worries

[Seans113]

Hello Everyone,

A fear has returned and I need some help.

So for the past few days I have been getting a few symptoms that come and go.
I have a weird tingly sore feeling in my throat, a feeling of tightness in my throat and chest, the base of my tongue feels sore, and discomfort in my sinus areas under my eyes and a feeling like something is caught in my throat.
Like I said these symptoms all come and go and if wouldn't describe any as pain, more so discomfort.

Other than that, I have a couple feel able lymph nodes in my neck, and one in my groin, which gave me my lymphoma fear. But now I feel another one under my chin (hard but moveable) and what feels like either a lump or another node under my right jaw. This one feels hard.

Now I'm afraid I have oral cancer or SCC or something else horrible.

I am waiting for the insurance to kick in so I can visit the hematologist, ENT, and dentist so I can get professional advice, but I really need some help.

And as soon as I get those results, I'm signing up for therapy asap bc I really want to help myself beat the anxiety.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[GlassPinata]

I also have this fear, and have been investigated for it twice (once three years ago, for a lump under my tongue, and once last week, for a spot on the side of my tongue).
Go to an ENT. The first time, I went to a regular doctor, and he referred me to an ENT. So the second time, I cut out the middleman and went directly to an ENT.

The first time, the ENT made me have a head and neck CT scan with contrast dye, and was then able to tell me definitively that the lump was not a tumor, but a natural structure in my mouth. Apparently, such variants are not uncommon. One's mouth might not be perfectly symmetrical, one might have an extra lump or bump on one side or the other.
The second time, this past week, I was convinced I had tongue cancer and fully expecting a tongue biopsy (which is a gruesome procedure, from what I've read), but the doctor took a look at it and said, "That's not cancer. Definitely not cancer." He declined to do a biopsy. At my insistence that it was SOMETHING, he prescribed an ointment for inflammation, which seems to be helping. I now believe what I actually had was a cluster of inflamed taste buds.

But anyway, go to an ENT. They are the type of doctor to see for an oral cancer screening, and they can do biopsies, if necessary.
Good luck. Hopefully the ENT can reassure you without conducting further tests.

---------- Post added at 04:25 ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 ----------

For what it's worth, oral cancer is most common in smokers, heavy drinkers, and those who use smokeless tobacco. It is nearly impossible to get it if you don't do any of these things. And even if you do, the average oral cancer patient is in his sixties or seventies. Only 5% of cases are in individuals under age 45. It truly is a disease of older age, and there are lifestyle changes you can make if you want to avoid it.
I doubt you have it. It's a rare cancer to begin with, and in young people, it is astronomically rare.

[Seans113]

True. I guess the hpv for young people and rise in the disease is freaking me out. I should also mention that I get a weird pain in my jaw from time to time. Sort of in the deep jaw region on both sides. Maybe TMJ? Idk

I'm more concerned by the fact that I'm feeling all of this stuff AND have swollen glands. The glands aren't visibly swollen though, and my GP didn't seem to worry but he did refer me to a hematologist which has me a bit worried

[Joezeff2013]

I feel ur pain. I go through this daily

[Fishmanpa]

Seans,

I had oral cancer. It does NOT come and go. Swollen nodes would be hard, immovable and visible. You DO NOT have it. If you fear this, don't drink, don't smoke and get the HPV vaccine.

Positive thoughts

[RoseEve]

I'm shocked you have had all these tests I have a ridge on one side under my tongue I had the doctor feel it and she laughed when I asked if it was cancer. But since you have had all these tests you know that you do not have oral cancer. Nodes on the neck are normal to feel. Search the forum you will see lots of people worry about this. I worry about oral cancer too I think it's because we can examine our mouths and there are lots of strange features in the mouth.

[GlassPinata]

And remember that most cases of hpv (in the mouth and elsewhere) clear up on their own, eventually. Over 90%, in fact.
In order for hpv to lead to cancer of any type, it has to persist in the body for a long period of time. Years. And this simply is not the typical course of the virus. If it were, then a lot more people would have cancer, because it is such a common virus.
The vaccine may or may not help; ideally, it should be administered before one becomes sexually active. Hpv is so common that most people contract it within a couple of years of becoming sexually active. Oral hpv is not as common as genital hpv, though. A lot of hype about a very rare issue, if you ask me.

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 13:03 ----------

Seans,

I had oral cancer. It does NOT come and go. Swollen nodes would be hard, immovable and visible. You DO NOT have it. If you fear this, don't drink, don't smoke and get the HPV vaccine.

Positive thoughts

Fishmanpa, I believe I saw some of your posts on an oral cancer forum, when I thought I had oral cancer and was researching it. Do you post on other forums, or am I mistaken?
I think you are very brave, and our fears must seem silly to you, in light of the very real issues you've had to deal with.
I appreciate your taking the time to help and encourage us.

[Hypo]

---------- Post added at 04:25 ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 ----------

[/COLOR]For what it's worth, oral cancer is most common in smokers, heavy drinkers, and those who use smokeless tobacco. It is nearly impossible to get it if you don't do any of these things. And even if you do, the average oral cancer patient is in his sixties or seventies. Only 5% of cases are in individuals under age 45. It truly is a disease of older age, and there are lifestyle changes you can make if you want to avoid it.
I doubt you have it. It's a rare cancer to begin with, and in young people, it is astronomically rare.

Is that true?

What about an ex smoker who is 32 years old?

[GlassPinata]

Only 5% of cases are in people under 45. That's true.
And some percentage of those are no doubt hpv related.
A lot of others are related to smokeless tobacco, aka dipping snuff.
That stuff is horribly carcinogenic.
In general, I doubt you could've smoked for long enough, at age 32, to have induced oral cancer. Most cases are found in smokers in their 60s and 70s, who have smoked for 40 or 50 years.
I am not saying don't go to the doctor. Do go to the doctor.
But I looked up statistics on the government cancer website, and for your age group, your odds of getting oral cancer are 3 in 100,000. That's if you are male. If you are female, your chances are even less.
Still, it does happen. One 32-year-old out of every 33,000 or so will get oral cancer.
It's just, you know... don't worry too much. Those are very long odds.

[mbarger33]

I've self diagnosed myself with oral cancer.. i have 1 hard lump on the inside of my lower jaw and to the right of "the snake tongue" looking thing I have a cluster of lumps that are hard. I was told by my dentist that these are called "tori" for some reason the jaw bone continues to grow and causes these lumps.