FFS I think I have mouth cancer

[TomBadgerlock]

Have NC for this, not sure why I'm posting really. Think I just want a bit of a handhold.

Have had a funny bright red patch on my soft palate for a few months which I have been ignoring. About four weeks ago it turned white and the centre gradually ulcerated. It's getting bigger. Not painful but definitely uncomfortable. Have finally properly paid attention to it/ stopped burying my head in the sand and confronted the fact it looks remarkably like an oral cancer. And before anyone accuses me of relying on Dr Google I should point out that I am in fact an actual doctor. Just not one who knows much about mouths.

Off to dentist on Thursday to see what she thinks. Freaking out a bit, though that's silly as I know even if it is a cancer it's smallish and newish and has a very good prognosis. But bloody hell I could really do without this at the moment!

I’d head to an ENT consultant. ASAP.

Slightly different as I have a large hard lump on my hard palate, not painful and has ulcers on it. I went to the dentists last week and they have referred me to maxillofacial specialist.

Easier said than done, but try not to panic as I'm sure there could be a number of reasons for this patch in your mouth. Definitely get yourself to the dentists though!

Best of luck

Face it and sort it before it gets worse.

@Wildorchidz I did have to quell some impulses at work today to pop round to ENT and beg someone to take a look.

@WeMustGetOffTheMountain oh good luck to you too! Hopefully it's nothing sinister.

You know that’s where the dentist will send you.

Handhold from me OP.

I hope it is nothing too troublesome.

I went to my GP with similar symptoms,she referred me to a Maxillofacial Consultant,seen in 10 days.Nothing sinister,in fact it then cleared up and it had been there a couple of months!This was a few weeks ago.

Hope your fears are unfounded.

Your dentist will refer you to Oral/ Maxillo Facial or Oral Medicine if you have a Dental Hosptial nearby. It wouldn't be ENT. Do you have a photo?

It could be lichen planus?

See what the dentist says, they can refer you to a specialist.

please 'pop' over to see a colleague. Why wait? You need to get this looked at and either put your mind at rest (Lichen Planus sounds likely) or at least get you started on treating this. Sorry, and and a handhold.

If you have a colleague who could take a look then do it! Hoping whoever you see manages to give a quick and reassuring answer.

@usernamexox ah good. Particularly glad I didn't accost any ENTs today then. I can't take a photo now as trapped under a sleeping toddler but this was it about four weeks ago, just after I noticed it turning white. Then forgot about it for a while until it started really annoying me a few days ago. Now the white area is the size of the outer ring in this photo, with a red ring around it, and the centre is ulcerated. Apologies to all for the grim picture.

I was panicking I had mouth cancer. I vape (which I'm uneasy about) and was worried it was because of that. My tongue developed a painful white spot on the side with a red ring around it and it wouldn't go away. Then my taste buds all went quite red so I did more googling and took some vitamin B supplements. It was all gone the next day, so I think I had a vitamin B deficiency! Also always knackered... Anyway, really hope yours is equally simply explained. Take advantage of your colleagues and nip to ENT

Sil had something very very similar to this in the same place and feared the worst. They took a biopsy and all clear. Never got to the bottom of what it was hut I think suggested it could have been a burn. It was there for a very long time I'd say 6months ish. All gone now.

I'm a dental nurse and we see a lot of these cases which we send for referral. A lot of the cases come back that it isn't oral cancer. Please try not to worry so much I know it's easy to say but stress can make it worse.
Personal but do you have any removable appliances in your mouth? Have you had any trauma you can think of?
It could be erythroleukoplakia. Hope you get good news OP x

It looks a bit like a trauma in a difficult place to heal quickly. Not sure though good luck x

Thanks @FairyDust92, and @Rarfy. And to everyone for handholds and sense and talking me down. I'm not sure why I'm in such a state about this - usually very rational about health-related things and not at all one to jump to worst-case scenarios. We have a lot of other stress going on at the moment though so perhaps that's why I'm being a bit bonkers.

💐

Dentist here. Unless you smoke and drink really quite heavily, it’s unlikely to be an oral cancer. It’s also at a less common site. Anything that persists though for more than a few weeks should trigger a 14 day referral though.

It looks to me like a necrotising sialometaplasia. Though the history you describe is a bit longer than average. They do look like cancers but are benign and self limiting. But should be biopsied because they do superficially look similar and share some risk factors (smoking mainly). Google images shows smaller ones that look much like yours.

and has a very good prognosis.

What makes you think that?
It has a very bespoke prognosis depending on the type of cancer and the cause.

None of the prognosis are what I would describe as good.

^^100% agreed. But the earlier it’s addressed the better.

Holding your hand OP. Hope it’ll be OK.

Sending a hand hold, OP.
(No experience whatsoever so that’s the best I can do).

My GP was pretty convinced I had mouth cancer. Turned out it was salivary stones, removed in minutes. I just want to encourage you not to panic and I really hope yours turns out to be equally simple and benign op. Hope you find out fast, too.

How did today go OP?