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General health

Jaw cancer - irrational or a possibility?

38 replies

Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 12:50

I've had a hard lump on my lower gum for a few weeks now which hasnt been helped with antibiotics.
Dentist has done an urgent referral to the hospital and I am seeing them late next week.
Doesn't look like mouth cancer but jaw cancer can show as a lump in the mouth apparently,
Anyone shed any light?

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paddyclampo · 29/12/2013 21:46

I'm not a big fan of the dentist at all, ex-phobic - don't know what I'd do if my current dentist left as I really trust her! But even though it was a very long and complicated one I survived and can say hand on heart it didn't hurt!

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Natashahopkins123 · 28/12/2013 17:06

Sorry above was a typo!
Thankyou very much for all your replies, am slighty less worried now although made the mistake of googling the procedure and saw sometimes a small amount of the jaw needs to be cut away which made me shudder!

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Natashahopkins123 · 28/12/2013 10:04

Ng

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 20:57

Paddyclampo,
Thankyou so very much for coming back to me.
Oral cancer from what I have researched appear as sores / lesions rather than lumps hence why I was very worried about jaw cancer as this can cause a lump which protrudes into the gum tissue however I know in the great scheme of things it's very unlikely.
As I had the root canal work done on the NHS under sedation ( terrible phobia of the dentist ) I had to wait 4 months inbetween the temporary / permanent part of the root canal.
Guess this probably hasn't helped things :(
Im happy to go private for the root canal to be done again if they allow me to keep the tooth!

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paddyclampo · 27/12/2013 20:49

I think they might have reduced it slightly but they certainly didn't get rid of it!

I remember it was a very complicated root canal that needed doing and I think she had to do it over 2 separate sessions - she packed it with an anti bacterial dressing in between!

As I say, mine also was rock hard - I think it was because the tooth had died and something happens which causes this hard lump.

My dentist always checks for oral cancer but she never feels for lumps, just looks for sores

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 20:36

Thankyou so much for your help.
I have long roots myself, so much so that an extraction under sedation had to be stopped halfway through as I was waking up through the tugging!
Would really not want to lose the tooth but the NHS apparently won't re do the root canal if it fails

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GandalfsPointyHat · 27/12/2013 19:54

I had to go to a specialist dentist, he removed the old root canal and replaced it, apparently I have particularly deep roots, prev dentist didn't fill one all the way and a cyst formed in the 'gap'. We're talking about minute spaces here, wasn't like he left half of the root unfilled or anything! I got a huuuuge filling and was advised to wait a few years before having the tooth crowned, in case the cyst returned. Follow-up x rays every year to check. So far so good. This was all done in cape town though, things might be done differently here. Hope this helps! Now go do something fun! Flowers

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Mrsmorton · 27/12/2013 19:35

They would normally remove it along with part of the root of the tooth, put some very expensive filling in the end of the tooth and stitch your gum down. It's called an apicectomy.

It's very dependent on what sort of cyst it is so it's best you wait for your appointment instead of worrying about things which might not even apply to you.

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 19:31

Can I ask what they did when they found the cyst?
Thanks

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GandalfsPointyHat · 27/12/2013 19:08

Hi,
Sorry you are so stressed, no more usefull advice to add, but I had a really big cyst after a root canal, right at the en of the root, dentist picked it up ages after rc was done, tooth was sensitive to bite down on but I thought it was due to the rc canal anyway, so never had it investigated further. Was all contained within the bony bit, so no limps or bumps. Was only diagnosed on xray. I would look to most recent work done as the most likely culprit, doesn't help with the worry though! Good luck and do not google! ;-)

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 19:01

Paddyclampo,
I think so deep down too although not sure why this would happen AFTER the root canal.
Although maybe there's still infection and it needs re doing.
Can a cyst be caused by failed root canal?
Did the antibiotics not help you at all?
They reduced my lump slightly ( which helps my anxiety as an pretty sure a few amoxicillin wouldn't help reduce a cancer lump ) but it's now rock hard and still very much there

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paddyclampo · 27/12/2013 18:02

I would say it is almost certainly something to do with the root canal work you've had done!

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Blippybirthday · 27/12/2013 17:52

I agree with runrun. It won't stop you worrying though. X

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RunRunRuby · 27/12/2013 17:51

The two week rule is there because some lumps are cancerous. Some lumps are obviously something else and can be easily diagnosed. If there is no definite diagnosis and no tests have been done, then no one can say it's definitely not cancer, so it is referred under the two week rule. Doctors tend to err on the side of caution. They can't tell for certain by looking who has cancer and who doesn't, and therefore who to refer under the two week rule, so they'd rather refer everyone quickly than miss the one rare case where a lump looks benign but isn't :)

He wouldn't have told you it's unlikely to be cancer unless he was fairly sure, they're always careful not to offer false hope/reassurance.

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Mrsmorton · 27/12/2013 17:44

Blippy you probably wouldn't have heard of it referred to as that! it would be an osteosarcoma or some such but still, very rare. It's like calling it your back bone I guess. No one would say backbone cancer? Don't take offence to whoever said that ope get dead rep us on these "have I got cancer, my Dr couldn't say but I think MN might diagnose me" threads.

Thanks

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 17:40

To be fair I had never heard of jaw cancer either!
Until I googled it an bham, refereed that's wheat u have after all

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Blippybirthday · 27/12/2013 17:37

Excuse me! I was trying to be supportive. I've never actually heard of jaw cancer. What a strange response to someone trying to reassure.

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 17:23

Hi,
Yeah I imagine so too however I've had a few cysts and those too didn't come up overnight, they started small and grew.
Although I guess it could have got infected hence the swelling and slight pain and that's why althought it went down a little with antibiotics it def didn't clear it altogether

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timidviper · 27/12/2013 17:13

You mention that this thing came up overnight. I might be wrong but I imagine that a cancer would grow more slowly than that and would keep growing where yours seems to have stopped. Hopefully that means that what you have is likely to be a cyst

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 17:08

Paddyclampo,
Many thanks for your reply.
The bump is rock solid, tender if pushed hard but certainly not causing disruption to my life!
I actually had root canal on my 2 back teeth a few months ago, so am wondering if it's something to do with that not being successful?
I hope the dentist who did all the treatment would have noticed anything then if it was cancer, seems quite co incidental that 5 weeks after my last root canal treatment this has happened

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Natashahopkins123 · 27/12/2013 17:06

Thanks again.
I don't know how to search for Emily's post, how do I do that?
Glad that come Thursday I might have more of an idea.
I'm 27 and have never smoked, drink only on special occasions and even then only a glass or 2.
The dentist said he didn't think it was cancer of any sort which is why i was quite surprised to be referred under this 2 week rule which is for where malignancy is suspected

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paddyclampo · 27/12/2013 17:05

Forgot to add, antibiotics had made no difference!

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paddyclampo · 27/12/2013 17:04

I had this and the only thing that made it go away was root canal! It was a really hard lump, almost felt bony!

Doesn't oral cancer usually show up as a sore on the tongue / inside of cheek rather than a lump?

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Tanfastic · 27/12/2013 16:58

I think the two week thing is common for any lump to be honest. My ds was referred urgently within two weeks with a neck lump that hadn't disappeared but the consultant said immediately nothing to worry about.

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UsedToBeNDP · 27/12/2013 16:34

Mouth cancer rates are on the up and it's something that GP's and dentists are being encouraged to refer for if they see any 'red flags'. However red flags or things that appear to be red flags do not necessarily mean cancer. A 2ww referral does not mean that you have cancer. The consultant you see for your appointment may be able to tell you immediately that it is not an oral cancer or they may wish to perform investigations if they are unsure.

The likelihood of oral cancers are greatly increased in heavy drinkers, users of chewing tobacco, heavy smokers and older people. It is rare in young, healthy, non smokers and light/moderate drinkers. Even if you fit so e of the criteria for higher risk factors, you are not guaranteed to have it.

See the Dr and try to keep things in perspective until your appointment. No one here can tell you whether or not you have cancer.

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