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Really scared oral cancer?

Scardjo
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Hello. I'm starting to get scared and could do with some advise please. I'm 38. I've never drank or smoked. Around 4 weeks ago I got a severe sore throat abroad and they gave me a 3 day anti biotic course. I noticed once or twice I had pain in my tongue. Sore throat went away but I started coughing and I dunno why but I checked my mouth in mirror and noticed on the left side on my tongue a round white circle kinda. And I noticed on the right side of tongue the same thing but the white spot is slightly smaller. Which is strange as it would make it semetric. On the left side I closed my mouth one time and it seemed to have grabbed the white spot on left of tongue and ripped half of it off my tongue. So you have the outter circle left. But on right side there seems to be a little hole that's formed in the middle of the circle. I'm not sure if is going away or what but I'm scared. I can't tell.  

 

I thought maybe it would go away on it's own but it's been pretty much 4 weeks now. I'm still getting pain in my tongue especially if I lay down. If I touch the the white areas on either side it hurts. My cough is on and off. Sore throat is mostly gone but came back for a week or so. I have flem feeling in my throat and runny rose. I have 2 broken teeth on right side of mouth which happened during lockdown and I just haven't gone dentist to get it sorted..

 

I really don't know what to do. I'm literally scared to even move or go to my GP. Like I know uclers cankers etc are extremely common while mouth cancer is extremely uncommon but I think I've scared myself from looking online to much and every picture of mouth cancer ulcers cankers all look the same. 

 

What do I do :(

  • Hello Scardjo,

    I'm sorry to hear how you're feeling, but it's important to speak to your GP about your symptoms, if you haven't already. When you are worried that you may have cancer, it can be tempting to look for answers online, but this can end up increasing anxiety rather than making you feel better. And the only person that can diagnose you is your doctor.  

    I hope this is helpful,

    Moderator Anastasia   

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    Hi, 

    If you have any worries please see your GP. 
     

    i am 29, I had a small lump in my cheek for a while didn't think anything of it and I finally got mine checked out and I'm so grateful I did. 
     

    I have everything crossed you have nothing to worry about but all my advice is to get checked 

     

    Take Care

    S x 

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    Hi Scardjo

    You mentioned you've had broken teeth and because of the pandemic haven't been to the dentist.

    Same thing happened to me with the broken sharpened teeth and a part of my tongue had been rubbing on the broken teeth/lost filling causing a red patch on the tongue for over 1 year until I got an appointment with Dentist where the Dentist suspected the blemish suspicious and sent me to Hospital for a biopsy.

     

    After the biopsy I was called to see an Oncologist/Maxillo Dept and was told I had cancer of the tongue HPV Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

     

    I was told the best outcome to the worst outcome and 2 months later I had a third of my tongue removed at surgery.

    They also wanted to do a 4-level lymph nodes/neck dissection but I declined that because I'd had no symptoms and lymph nodes were normal on CT and other scans and all blood tests were normal and I believed the 'lesion' was just a friction spot.

    The Pathologists found no cancer on the resected margin removed tongue and no cancer at all even on the 'lesion' removed.

    The Doctors then claimed that all of the cancer must have been accidentally removed at the biopsy.

    They didn't remove the 'lesion' at biopsy, only a 1mm slither of it was removed as a sample.

    So it turns out that I didn't have cancer in the first place and needed no operation.

    Also, the new Surgeon told me that I do not have the HPV either!

    The original Doctor told me that I did have HPV adding that the cancer is "already on your lungs", adding he's "seen this all before".

     

    So my advice to you is to go for your biopsy then wait for the results.

    And whatever they say the results are.....

    ask to go to another Hospital for a second biopsy.

    Also, whenever you talk to a medical professional ask if they are okay if you record the conversation.

    This is because I found one of the Doctors untruthful on many counts and in denial of when questioned later on.

    I keep my fingers crossed for you that yours will turn out to be just a little friction injury caused by your broken teeth..

    Regards

    Cozzy1

     

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