Lump on Hard Palate - Obv Mouth Cancer

[dahlia.]

I found this site a couple of years ago when panicking about having liver cancer. Spoiler: I didn't.

I completely forgot it existed until just now when Googleing the lump on the top of my mouth. Apparently someone else here was convinced they have mouth cancer as well...

So, 10 days ago I noticed a hard lump on the top of my mouth on the hard palate on the right side. I follow a really strict paleo diet, and for whatever reason decided to gorge on an entire bag of coconut oil potato chips. I hadn't had chips in 3 years. I was mindlessly shoveling them into my mouth when I felt something on the top of my mouth. I panicked, of course, and ran into the bathroom to check it out with my dental mirror and flashlight. It was a noticeable bump with a tiny dark dot in the center. It may have been blood, but it was too small to tell. The next day I noticed another smaller one next to it. The smaller one has gone away, but the large one is there. It no longer has a dark dot in the center. It's just flesh colored, hard, and smooth. There is no pain.

I went in to see my dentist today hoping she would ease my mind. My regular dentist wasn't there so I had to see this first year dentist that looked like she was 15. She wasn't very reassuring. She said it was "most likely" from trauma (the chips or something) but WANTS TO SEE ME BACK IN TWO WEEKS. I, of course, brought up oral cancer and she did not laugh it off as I was hoping she would. She did an xray to make sure my tooth wasn't infected, which would cause a lump-like abscess. It wasn't. She explained the BIOPSY PROCEDURE. If it's not gone in two weeks she wants to biopsy. This had me horrified. I had to sit there for a cleaning after all of this, imagining all of the ways an oral cancer diagnosis is going to ruin my life. I'll have to drop out of school, I'll lose my job, probably have to move in with my parents. What if they have to remove a huge chunk of tissue and I'm deformed. What if it's spread... What if two weeks is too long to wait and it progresses. I read that certain types spread really quickly(weeks-months).

I also have hypothyroidism and am in the process of titrating my medication so I have things like dry mouth and an occasional sore throat, among other thyroid symptoms. Now I'm wondering if some of it could be related to oral cancer. I read that dry mouth and other sensations are symptoms.

How am I supposed to function the next two weeks? I can not stop thinking about this and my heart is racing.

[Rey1989]

Hi Dahlia, I myself suffer from health anxiety, and Ive diagnosed myself more conditions that I could even remember, including oral cancer. Couple of questions, how old are you? Do you smoke? Drink? Reason I ask, oral cancer is very unlikely in young adults, and if you dont smoke/drink youve reduced the likelyhood of developing this type of cancer. I can almost guarantee you that is nothing to worry about, but do follow up with your dentist just to be on the safe side.

Cheers! And try to relax, as much as possible

[dahlia.]

Hi. Thanks for replying. The health anxiety is really crippling in a lot of ways... I'm glad I found this place. It's somehow cathartic to read through everyone's posts.

I'm 32 now. I smoked from the time I was 17-about 25. Quit completely, then smoked for about 6 months 3 years ago(wtf was I thinking). I haven't smoked at all since then. I drink wine very occasionally now. Like, a glass with dinner a couple of times a month. I drank more in the past when going through my partying phase, but it's been years and years. I eat very healthy now and don't drink anything but water and red tea.

[Rey1989]

Oral cancer is very unlikely at your age. I did my research when I was going through a similar phase of heavy anxiety about this condition, because of a lump on the inside of my cheek. It went away on its own within days. Give it some time, try not to focus on it or touch it since its only going to make it worse. Our heads play a big role in our overall health, so focus on that instead.

[saf138]

Hello.
I too noticed a small hard bump on the top of my mouth just on the right hand side a couple of months back and if I can remember correctly it was after eating almonds. I too freaked out about it at first but since than I don't pay any attention to it it could have been there for many years I don't know. Its amazing what anxiety can do to you it seems to find so many little things within your body which you never even thought you had or you just never even cared about. I'm no expert in any way but what you may have and it is very common is something called Torus palatinus which is just a bony protrusion and is totally harmless.
All the best