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Hello, my name is Mia and recently I've had some symptoms of mouth cancer that has begun worrying me. It's extremely hard for me to talk or swallow anything and it feels like my throat is closing up one side, as well as an extreme pain when I swallow. I have a lump on the inside of my mouth, it's painful and it causes me struggle to move my jaw/open my mouth and eat anything. I have white patches inside my mouth, and I have tried everything for pain relief; paracetamol, ibuprofen, bonjela. 

I have only recently turned 18 years old, and I feel extremely scared. 

  • Hello and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry you are worried about your health.

    I'm afraid we can't say what is the matter ( diagnose) when someone has persistent symptoms. Only a doctor can make a medical assessment so we always encourage people to make an appointment to see their GP if their symptoms are persisting. Doctors are trained to assess symptoms and can arrange tests if they feel it’s necessary to try to find out what might be going on. 

    I think a lot of people with new or ongoing symptoms worry about cancer. But for most symptoms there are a lot of other potential explanations and usually it is more likely that something else is the matter especially at your young age. Cancers affecting the mouth are uncommon and when they do occur they usually affect people over the age of 60.

    I hope you know more about your situation soon.

    Kind regards,

    Celene

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