Dear Sir / Madam ,

This is Mahesh from India .

I am a little user of tobacco and I am using since 1997 , but not so frequently , once in a while . In the year 2001 Jan I found a small black scar in the cheek , Afraid of this , consulted with dentist , he prescribed vitamins tablets like carofit . After some time ie after one year a small white patch was found on the same place , then I approached to an oncologist , after performing biospy - he confirmed that its a symtom of leukoplakia but its in limits . In the year 2003 I asked doctor that I am very much worried about the cause , so he suggested me to go for laser treatment . Its done now , but again a small patch has come not only on the left cheek but also on the right cheek . Now that I completely stoped chewing tobacco Am using carofit since one year or so ,but the black and white patches have not yet disappeared .Some times I get cough and persists for a period of 15 - 20 days in this period I take erythromycin , azithral - azithromycin etc and get cured but its seems to be temporary. I am very much worried .

Kindly suggest some medicines and medical advice .

And one more thing , can I go for marriage - now that I am 30 yrs becoz of this I delayed but now it seems to be immpossible becoz of pressure from family and friends.

Kindly help me .

Your reply is very important and precious.

Hi Mahesh

Leukoplakia has been defined as a whitish plaque that cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as any other disease and is not associated with any physical or chemical causative agent except the use of tobacco.

Patients diagnosed with idiopathic leukoplakia have the highest risk of developing cancer. In studies of these patients, 4-17% had malignant transformation of the lesions in less than 20 years. Risk of developing malignancies at lesion sites is 5 times greater in patients with leukoplakia than without leukoplakia. The location of the leukoplakia is significant in terms of the degree of dysplastic or malignant changes, with the floor of the mouth and the ventral surface of the tongue being especially high risk. Although leukoplakia is more common in men than in women, women with leukoplakia have a higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma . In spite of tobacco's known role in the development of oral carcinoma, the malignant transformation rate of leukoplakia in nonsmokers is higher than in smokers .

:geek: Professor Scully's article on Oral Leukoplakia discusses risk, treatment and measures that might reduce the risk.

Get your cough investigated by a good respiratory physician. I would not have thought that leukoplakia was a contra-indication to marriage !

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee: