Neck ultrasound and cheek biopsy, what to expect?

I've posted recently about being investigated for suspected oral cancer, after a lot of confusion I've been given appointments to have a strange patch in my mouth biopsied and will have an ultrasound on my neck this Thursday. I'm 42 and an ex-smoker so I'm expecting the worst and trying to be as prepared as possible to hear it, but I have terrible anxiety and even with medication I'm really struggling with facing the appointments themselves as I have a bit of a phobia of medical procedures. Has anyone reading this had experience of these specific types of diagnostic tests and can give me an idea what they might entail, please? I'd be really grateful, not knowing what to expect is making it so much worse and I can't seem to find specific information by googling, it's all very general.

Best wishes to everyone, especially those going through difficult times.

Hobbit x

  • Hello Hobbit,

    I'm sorry to hear about your anxiety and the uncertainty surrounding your upcoming appointments. It's completely normal to feel anxious about medical procedures, especially when facing the unknown.

    Hopefully other forum members who can relate to your situation will come along shortly to offer advice but until then you might want to reach out to our team of nurses if you think speaking with someone medically trained might help. They're available Monday - Friday between 9 a.m - 5 pm on this phone number 0808 800 4040.

    Wishing you the best during your appointments, and I hope you receive the support and answers you need.

    Renata, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi Renata,

    Apologies for the very late response, I've been a bit all over the place of late. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for the helpful info. I survived the ultrasound and biopsy and my results appointment is this afternoon; hoping that I'll find out what I'm dealing with one way or another.

    Hobbit x