dentist referred me to cancer center am scared

[DrTroy]

Hi sorry about the title but im scared, the dentist referred me to the "cancer center" to check on a white patch on the base of my tongue at the back. She said because its been there over 4 weeks. Said its standard procedure to send me but put me on fast track?? :(

anyone had the same experience?

Thing is i can even find what she is talking about?

[Fishmanpa]

I'm an oral cancer survivor. Yes, it's standard procedure to have a suspicious area, lesion or node checked when it's been there for a few weeks and hasn't resolved. All I can say is you have a good dentist that cares about you. Many times, things like this are missed or dismissed. Most are nothing to be concerned with but it's worth having it looked at by a specialist.

Positive thoughts

[DrTroy]

Thanks for your reply appreciated, she kinda took me off guard by just thrusting this piece of paper at me headed "nottingham cancer center" and said you need to go there to get checked. I guess i was over whelmed and scared. Now im finding myself scanning through statistics etc, I have to wait upto two weeks to get seen which is going to feel alot longer :(

She said the thing she can see is tiny 2mm by 2mm, I think she said there is a small white patch accompanied with a small ulcer under my tongue at the back, the thing is it's on the same side ive asked for a tooth to be filed down because my tongue keeps travelling over it and making it sore. It just feels related but not sure why she is sending me, maybe to be on the safe side?

[Fishmanpa]

Thanks for your reply appreciated, she kinda took me off guard by just thrusting this piece of paper at me headed "nottingham cancer center" and said you need to go there to get checked. I guess i was over whelmed and scared. Now im finding myself scanning through statistics etc, I have to wait upto two weeks to get seen which is going to feel alot longer :(

She said the thing she can see is tiny 2mm by 2mm, I think she said there is a small white patch accompanied with a small ulcer under my tongue at the back, the thing is it's on the same side ive asked for a tooth to be filed down because my tongue keeps travelling over it and making it sore. It just feels related but not sure why she is sending me, maybe to be on the safe side?

Exactly!

Positive thoughts

[AlexandriaUK]

Test Test and Test again, remember we live in a sue society so every thing has to be checked out, wouldn't have it any other way really as imagine 5 years down the line and they hadn't checked it and it developed into something else, I am sure Fishmanpa will agree.
I would sooner have a Dentist/Doctor who said lets just put your mind at rest and have it looked at, better than oh its fine and you go away worried to death, I bet it is your tooth causing it though.

[DrTroy]

I remember her saying what she thought it could be (what sounded like) local plaquey, but I think she meant leukoplakia. She has a strong eastern european accent and made it difficult to understand. Am scared though as Ive done the worst and started googling !

Plus the words fast track got me scared because it made it sound super serious

[Fishmanpa]

Leukoplakia is what you're thinking and should be checked. It's typically caused by irritations (like your tongue rubbing your tooth).

Positive thoughts

[fairyloveheart]

I have a white patch on the inside of my cheek where it rubs my wisdom tooth, almost a carbon copy indent of my tooth, I went to the dentist and he pointed it out but told me to monitor it and then if it is there next time in six months he will refer me on.... Bit worried now, should it have been referred earlier? He said it was leukoplakia he thinks...

I really hope you get your appointment quickly and it is confirmed its that x

[Fishmanpa]

It was a post like this on the Head and Neck/Oral cancer boards I was frequenting during my journey that brought me to these boards.

There were several posters that described the same thing along with those with node obsessions etc. that sparked my interest in health anxiety. Every single one of the posters fears were just that... fears. Not one ever came back positive. All of them definitely had health anxiety based on what I've learned.

While there is a VERY small percentage of Leukoplakia situations that can potentially become pre-cancerous and cause an issue, the chances are very, very, very small that it ever develops. It's typically something that needs to be checked out and monitored for a bit to be sure it resolves and in every case that I saw on the cancer boards, it did.

Positive thoughts

[Humly]

Very interesting. I have made a "panic" appointment at dentist for tomorrow as I have a white patch at the back of my mouth near my throat. Think I have had it for a while but panicked this morning as I have an ulcer or something on the roof of my mouth and noticed this white patch again whilst having a look. At my last dentist visit she mentioned that I had either lichen planus or leukoplakia but I wasnt paying much attention and wasnt concerned at the time. I am now and I'm scared!