Tongue Cancer?

Tonita

Hello to all and thanks in advance for any comments.

Around the holidays, I noticed what I thought was a canker sore.  I finally went to my doctor Feb 4th and he referred me to an oral surgeon whom I saw on the 9th.  He said it looked like a tumor and referred to to another doctor for a biopsy and I'm going on the 17th.

Aside from the worry about what the diagnosis will be, should I be worried about how much time has passed from the time I noticed the sore until now?  I can't help but think the worse about this thing.  I suppose it could be something benign, but there is a good chance it's not.

Five more days seems like a really long time when you're waiting for something like this and I have no idea what to expect.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

MarineE5

Try to take a deep breath

Tonita, 

I am sorry that you are here seeking answers to your questions, but this is a good site to find those answers. You are doing things right and the schedule is about right also. For me, it was nearly 2 months before I had my surgery after I found a tiny bump under my jaw bone. 

We can worry all we want, but until the Doctor states that it is cancer, we put extra stress on ourselfs. Having a Biopsy done is good. I hope that it isn't any cancer what so ever for you. 

Please keep us updated.

My Best to You and Everyone Here 

Tonita

MarineE5 said:

Try to take a deep breath

Tonita, 

I am sorry that you are here seeking answers to your questions, but this is a good site to find those answers. You are doing things right and the schedule is about right also. For me, it was nearly 2 months before I had my surgery after I found a tiny bump under my jaw bone. 

We can worry all we want, but until the Doctor states that it is cancer, we put extra stress on ourselfs. Having a Biopsy done is good. I hope that it isn't any cancer what so ever for you. 

Please keep us updated.

My Best to You and Everyone Here 

Thanks for the kind

Thanks for the kind thoughts.  I go back and forth with thinking the worst and thinking the best. 

My best friend has been through hell and back with breast cancer and she's a great support. 

I am hoping others here that have gone through or are going through this process can share their experiences, fears and whatever else. 

 

 

 

CivilMatt

cancer?

Tonita,

Welcome to the H&N forum.  Hopefully you will be a short time visitor when results from your biopsy which say “no cancer”.

I was about 51 days from first Dr. appointment to diagnosis and I don’t believe it changed anything concerning treatment.  Probably, there was some change but not enough to matter, seeing that I went directly into treatment.

Stay positive, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Good luck,

Matt

ratface

It's generally slow in progression

Welcome! So from the holidays till now should be fairly insignificant if it's cancer at all? Why don't you tell us more about yourself, your age,  and general health history? 

swopoe

Hi Tonita. Take a deep

Hi Tonita. Take a deep breath, first off. Hopefully it isn't cancer, but if it is, you have found us, and that is a great thing.

My husband, in early September 2015, noticed what he thought was a canker sore on his tongue after he (and I) were both sick with colds. But it didn't go away. After finally seeing his dentist, he had it biopsied by an oral surgeon on October 12th, and we found out it was cancer on October 19th. He had surgery in early November and the cancer was stage 1. So that was 2 months until staging and it was still stage 1. So please hang in there. I know how scared you are. My husband and I were the same way, and the waiting is the hardest thing. Hopefully the biopsy will give you good results. But we are here for you either way.

oldvampswyfe

Like Bob Marley says

Don't worry about a thing every little thing will be all right. 

Don't take yourself down the rabbit hole until you loose the carrot.

oldvamp had swollen lymph nodes in early march of 15.  They gave him antibiotics..then he came down with the flu, he wouldnt get out of bed, so ended up with pneumonia..more antibiotics (lymph nodes were still swollen).

They finally biopsied the nodes around the end of May.  It came back as stage 4 non-specific metastatic carcenoma..that was June 1st; then he went in to have the PET scan.. we recieved the results on his birthday (June 12) we knew..base of tongue

Its at that point you need to make choices.  Educate yourself, but don't get wrapped up in the whatnots and whyfors.. you won't know until you know.

Most often these hiccups are benign.  Our bodies have this beautiful mechanism that will eat up malformations (cancers, which we all have) that aren't suppose to be there.  Sometimes, it doesn't work..but most often it is right on course.  Trust your body.  

You are in the right place for support as you go through this stage of fear and doubt.

Its all up to the results of your scans and biopsies..know we are here for you at all times. 

We hope the best for you.  Just know we are here for you, regardless! 

Tonita

ratface said:

It's generally slow in progression

Welcome! So from the holidays till now should be fairly insignificant if it's cancer at all? Why don't you tell us more about yourself, your age,  and general health history? 

 I'm going to be 64 this

 

I'm going to be 64 this year.  I had a heart attack (mild) in 2005 and a stroke in 2013.  I don't have any major deficits from the stroke and since then my numbers have never been better - blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. 

I am a smoker and that leads me to think the worst about my current situation although I know that cancer, heart attacks and strokes are not exclusive to smokers.  Aside from cancer, I have all the same problems my mother had with heart issues and all the rest and she never smoked or drank in her lifetime.  She lived til 86.

I guess I feel somewhat defensive about the smoking question because at the end of the day, I can't change that fact.  When I started smoking, there were no danger warnings and there was no "shame" in it.  It was socially acceptable.  If I had told the doctors that I didn't smoke, I don't think my heart attack, stroke or current situation would be noted in the medical journals as some sort of anomaly.  It's a high risk factor and not necessarily the cause.  Of course, if I had it to do all over again, I would never have started.  I can't apologize for it now.  What's done is done.

When I logged on today and read all of your comments, I immediately felt comforted and at ease to share here.  I so appreciate your comments and support.

Thank you all

 

wmc

Welcome to the H&N Group

Being concerned is normal, but just take a deep breath and slowly let it out. I was told I had a tumor in my throat when my Lung doctor wes checking my lungs to see if that is where the bleeding I had was. As I woke up he said you have cancer, and was on vacation the next week. He had set up an appointment to see an ENT, four week wait. Plus the ENT would not be the doctor that would be treating me. I cancelled that and my doctor sent me to where I needed to be and the next week I was there. Now I had to weight 6 weeks because I took Motron for pain and it thins the blood. Total time was just over two months and they knew what mine was and the size [Like a very large grape ]  

Many tumors are nothing more than that, just a tumor, a growth, and nothing to be concerned with. When mush younger I had a lymph gland removed be bause it got larger and kinda hard, So they just removed it and It was nothing but a lymph node that just stopped working. This may be just a knot or growth. I don't khink it will be a concern, but if it does turn out to be something. You have so much going in your favor. You did something and had it checked early. SCC is most often slow growing so you are ahead already. You have doctors that are getting things to move much faster than normal to treat it. When you found this site, you are now not alone. So if it turns out to be nothing, then we just say it was so nice to meet you. If is is something, we will all be here to answer questions and be here for support for you. So in a strainge way it is a win, win. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Bill