Dentist found a raised area on my tongue..

[NeverTalksToStrangers]

.. And wants me to get it looked at. It's white, about the same size as a bean (but much flatter).

I'm 38. I was a bit dumbfounded in the appointment (was just a check up) and never asked how long it would take. He seemed concerned until i asked him if he thought it was something sinister (stupid question as he was hardly going to say "yes") and he said probably fine as it was light in colour and painless. I mentioned something about having private healthcare in work and this might make referral quicker (in hindsight I don't think it will as I remember reading something about possible cancer referrals normally being fast enough so private care normally not provided) and that i would ring him to confirm. I then got to work (this was yesterday morning) where I was super busy all day as colleague has been off all week, so emailed health care people but didn't ring them and they hadn't got back to me by close of play. So I never rang him. And then I went home and finally googled and I've basically been shitting myself since.

White can be sinister, as can painless. Prognosis for mouth cancer worse than skin or cervical. So i am imagining the worst.

I now feel like I can feel it, but in a very familiar way. Possibly had a mouth ulcer in the same place a few months ago. I can't remember. Maybe bit my tongue. I definitely know I had some sort of sensation or pain there since Christmas. I just can't remember what it was.

Has anyone been through this or any medical people here to give me advice?

Anyone?

Didn't want to read and run but also don't want to worry you further... but my dad went through this last year, dentist noticed something on his tongue, sent him for a referral and unfortunately it was cancer. 6 months later he had the operation to remove it, they weren't sure he would have brilliant language afterwards but he's talking really well.

However saying that, he knew something wasn't right with his mouth for about 4 years but had put off going to see anyone, the only thing that forced him was waking up with blood in his mouth one day so if you've only had pain since Christmas if It is anything - which I hope it isn't - you will hopefully have caught it very early. He's created a blog about it all if you wanted to read more I could send you the link?

Try not to get yourself too worked up over it, harder said than done

Yes, please send the link. 6 months seems like a long time to wait for cancer surgery.

I am so sorry OP, you must be in bits with anxiety, and the weekend is not helping because you can't move things on.

The only thing I can say is if you do Google ( and I know you will because no ones will power is that strong) then only read from good sites like the NHS sites and cancer research UK, but remember your dentist has done the right thing by alerting you but has NOT made any diagnosis.

Take care of yourself this weekend, keep posting here if it helps , and I hope you have someone in real life to talk to as well. Please come back and tell us what happens.

I've sent you the link in a message - have a read and hopefully it will help x

You're totally right viques. But it's so hard not to fear the worst. What i have looks like the pics. I've tried to take a pic but you can't see it well enough. Dentist took a pic with his phone, really I should have asked him to send it to me, but again, i was completely blindsided.

I don't smoke, never have, and rarely drink (think about 4 units a month probably), so that works in my favour, but I do carry hpv, which although very common, is liked to some mouth cancers.

Yes i have people IRL. I've told my wonderful dh, mum (who is doing this super cheery thing but i know she's worried (i probably shouldn't have told her)) and a couple of friends. I texted my bro too, who is a doctor last night. Yet to respond.

I've spent most of my life wondering why I should be any more fortunate than somebody else, so I suppose my attitude to cancer etc has always been ' why not me?'. It's not that I've lived in fear of it, but it affecting my bubble (my 2ds, dh, parents, brother and sisters and my nieces and nephews) is probably my greatest fear.

So yeah, not taking this well.

Nevertalks I am glad you have so much family support, (come on OPs brother, get back to her ASAP). I think you are like me, the slightest health issue and I am planning the readings and the music they will play as they carry me into the Chapel!

As I said before, your dentist is on the ball, and has done the right things but a dentist is not an ENT consultant, or an oncologist and nor are you! Mouth things always feel awful, you know yourself how much a little mouth ulcer can hurt and how hard it is not to have a poke and a prod and even like you take a picture, but that is not the same as a consultant with years of experience looking into your mouth and comparing what s/he sees with all the other mouths they have looked at in their career.

On Monday phone your GP and get an urgent appointment, if they can't fit you in then I would invoke your private health insurance and get a private ENT consultant appointment, I don't know where you live but your nearest large hospital would be a starting place to get some names.Having an initial private consultation does not mean jumping the queue, but it could well mean setting your mind at rest.

I know some people object to private health care, and in my heart of hearts I do too, but the fact is it exists, you have it , and it would be silly not to use it in this case. Try to relax a bit, stop peering in the mirror and remember that most unexplained bumps and lumps are just that, bumps and lumps and not sinister at all.

take care.

Sorry OP for this scary moment. Just wanted to say that my DD, who at the time was only 10ish had white painless lump on her gum. Because of her age, it didn't cross my mind it could be anything worrying, so when during a routine appt, the dentist said he needed to refer her under the 2ww, I totally panicked (and kicked myself badly for assuming it wasn't anything to be concerned about).

Thankfully, managed to see the specialist in hospital within a few days and he right away said he wasn't really concerned but said it needed to be removed and biopsied. His words reassured me, but wasn't able to move on until the results came back fine.

Just to say that these innocent lumps do exist and I hope very much that's the case for you too.

If you are in London and have private care - www.londonbridgehospital.com/LBH/consultant-det/professor-mark-mcgurk/
Best wishes and try not to worry (easier said than done).

No advice re the actual issue but the advice re appointments I often see on here is as soon as you’ve had the appointment letter (or phone call) then phone the consultants secretary and say you’ll take any cancellations that occur between now and then so you may be seen sooner. I’ve seen people have success with this when waiting for breast clinic appointments. Assuming you’d be able to make a short notice appointment that is.

Don’t Google anything else

Thanks everyone. Feeling bit more upbeat.

Definitely not in London. I'm in NI, about an hr from Belfast, which is where private treatment would likely be, but there seems to be an oral surgeon clinic in a local, small hospital, so obviously treatment there would be preferable.

Bro says to go private if the dentist hasn't sent red flag referral, but if he has it won't be any quicker for initial assessment.

Good tip about the Secretary, although appointments system here tend to be centralised so I'm not sure I'll have the contact details.

Glad to hear your dd was ok swing.

I had this exact same thing under my tongue and they did a biopsy, but thankfully it was all clear. They couldn't explain what it was but said it can come about due to the abrasion from a sharp bit of tooth.

How long did it all take uneven?

The dentist noticed it around March and I had the biopsy in November. I had around 3 appointments at the hospital in between where they photographed it and kept an eye on it. For some reason it wasn't going down so they did the biopsy just in case. They removed the patch and it hasn't returned. The biopsy wasn't painful at the time, it was just uncomfortable for about 24 hours after due to the stitching. Please let us know how you get on, I understand it's hard not to think the worst sometimes

Have private appt booked for 26th. Dentist was willing to Red flag but said it would take 5 months for an appointment (2 years otherwise). My bro said it should be 2 weeks and was stunned when i told him what they had said, but he's a&e based so I suppose doesn't have the same experience of waiting lists (more so waiting rooms). Doesn't exactly fill me with optimism re the state of the NHS.

if its a rapid access referral it has to be seen within 10 working days! get your dentist to re refer. defo get to an oral surgery or max fax clinic. we do huundreds of biopsies per week in our oral surgery dept and very few turn out to be anything sinister. good luck.

Earl, that's what I thought but was told 5 months. It's Ok. I have an appt soon with oral surgeon that my insurance will cover.

I could have got one for next week (only does clinics 1 day per week) but i have plans for that day. So typical. I never go anywhere, and when i do it clashes with something like this.

glad you've updated , I was wondering how you were getting on.Glad to hear you are getting the ball rolling. good luck for the 26th.

Hope things go well. Let us know how you get on.

I had a boipsy for a sore lump on my tongue and sorry but it was turning into cancer. I had to have more removed shortly after the biopsy. I Googled it too and there are some revolting pictures out there of people who did not catch it in time so do not delay just in case. I am totally clear now but still get check-ups. Its very rare and mostly in smokers (I don't smoke either) so I am famous at my dental practice! I went private as I was pretty freaked out and wanted it done quickly.

I had the biopsy done under local (but the 2nd one I was out cold). You can feel the movement but no pain till the jab wears off (like the dentist). Where it is makes a difference to the recovery. Mine was at the side of my tongue and both times I struggled to eat, talk, etc and the stiches were catching which was very painful. A friend had his at the back of his mouth and he was fine - no pain and no time off. On the plus side I lost lots of weight. I'd stock up on soup and straws if I was you just in case. Good luck!

allypally
Thanks for that. Good to know a success story. Mine is also on the side of my tongue too but it's not sore. I'm very aware of it though and can definitely feel it now. Hopefully we don't get to the soup and straws stage (not that I'd mind the weight loss)

I've calmed down a lot. I needed to, lol. It didn't help that I was peak hormonal at the time. The fact that it was completely out of the blue made it worse.

Update: Oral surgeon wasn't concerned at all. He said it was trauma due to me grinding my teeth and catching my tongue. I wasn't even fully aware that I grind my teeth (I have a vague memory of being stressed some nights that I can't sleep and that constantly tensing my jaw wasn't helping), but, omg I've been bloody doing it constantly since.

Very relieved. I had been much better since the initial weekend until this morning when the whole thought that this could be C day hit. I was so nervous and a bit subdued all day at work.

My panic all seems so silly now, but then like I said before, my views on cancer has always been 'why not me?'. I can't imagine what sort of a wreck I'd be if it had gone a different way. Thankfully not something I've /we've had to go through.

Just read this thread. So pleased for you!