I'm not sure if you can help.

I am a 36 yr old female, in good health (hyperthyroid under control). In the past two weeks, i've had a tiny (less than half mm)spot, appear on the arch of my soft palate. It is not always there, but seems to sometimes appear after eating a meal. It then 'feels' like I have sesame seed, stuck to the roof of my mouth - and when I check, the tiny little spot is there. It sometimes seems to burst when touched firmly, and goes. Other times, the feel of something stuck, remains for a few hours before it heals and is back to normal.

Further along the arch, there is a very slightly discoloured area - whiteish - but it is very, verysubtle. It is not at all raised and any white colouring is very pale indeed. When I compare it to pictures of leukoplakia I see on the net, it is nothing as obvious - it is almost light pink and not white! I believe it to have been there for some time, without change. I have regular dental and hygenist check-ups and this area has never been mentioned, although the dentist does do an Oral Cancer check every time I visit. My last visit was approx 8 weeks ago.

Does this sound like something of huge concern? Thank you for your help

Edited to add: I have now attached a picture. Sorry for the poor quality, my poor little camera, struggled to focus. The first arrow points to the area where the little spot appears, it is red (I think), because I prodded at it, but it doesn't normally look this red. The arrow next to it points to the white(ish) area.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Quackers,

Good Morning Quackers,
The lump you describe sounds very similar to something which I have.On a couple of visits to the oncology clinic I have discussed this and they don't seem to think it is anything important.The white(ish) patch is difficult to comment on , firstly I am not a doctor and even if I was I don't think I would want to comment on this without seeing it.

The message is always the same:- If you have something unusual in your mouth and it does not clear in three weeks, either on it's own or with over the counter medication, see your dentist/doctor and get a professional opinion.

A bit of an inconvenience but it could save you a lot of trouble.

When comparing your lump with mine we have to consider that no two people are the same and no two people describe things in the same way. One thing we all do have in common is that we all tend to worry about the unknown, and for this reason alone it is worth getting the professional opinion.

Keep Smiling
John

Thank you for your help, John.
I am perhaps the world's worst worrier - that doesn't help (i'm not sure that internet research helps either). I will try and get an appointment with my doctor - that can take two weeks sometimes, hopefully by then, it would have cleared up.

Thank you again. I wish you luck in your treatment.

Good afternoon Quackers,
you are right about internet research it can leave you convinced that you have most of the problems in the book, a minor cold suddenly has all the symptoms of Swamp fever, a combination of anorexia and obesity and club foot thrown in for good measure. This website has a membership of around two thousand, most of us are cancer patients or carers and we tend to deal with things in a practical way and give answers based on our own experience.

Now then this claim of yours about being the world's worst worrier, there is a lot of competition for that title so don't you go jumping the queue!

Please let us know how your appointment goes, I am surprised that it will take so long to see your doctor you must live in a remote sort of place.

Keep Smiling
John

Thanks John - I don't live in a remote place, just in an over-subscribed surgery! I did though, manage to get a cancellation and saw a dr. He seemed pretty cluless about mouths in general, but said it did look red, yes. That the white area, in his opinion, needed a little imagination to see - he compared it to seeing shapes in clouds! He told me that it was very unlikely to be mouth cancer, because it is almost totally limited to smokers. I explained that my nan had mouth cancer, she wasn't a smoker and that my mum has white patches that her hygenist had noticed (she isn't a smoker).

Soooooo, I came away with a prescription for Cortisone/steroid pellets (take for 5 days, come back if no change)...... However, there is a manufactuting problem with them, and they have been out of stock for some considerable time! Went back to surgery and another dr, told me to get Medicaine (sp), an over the counter lozenger. Take them for 5 days and if no change, go back.

I don't feel like I have really got any further, but at least i've started the ball rolling.

Thank you once again for your help John (and i'll happily take on, any worrying competition)

Take care

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Quackers,

Hello Quackers

It is difficult to say from the picture you posted but I don't think you have a mouth cancer. The redness could be caused by clearing the throat in an effort clear it. The whiteness appears diffuse and might a range of normal.

I would just suggest your being gentle with your throat, just use a gentle lightly salted warm water gargle if you feel it necessary and let it get better by itself. If it gets worse or stays the same, please see your dentist for an opinion. Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Vinod

Thank you very much Dr Joshi. I will certainly follow that advice, and will update here in a weeks time.

Thank you again, to you and Jonh, for being so welcoming and helpful.

I come back with a small update. After last years posts I saw my dr, who said it looked normal and that I was wrong age (late 30's), and living habits to have cancer. He prescribed some antiseptic sweets. My dentist said it looked fairly innocent.

The red area - 18 months later, is still there. It is sometimes accompanied by a small spot, which as before, can feel like a grain of rice stuck to the arch of my soft palate. I have it checked by my dentist when I have my normal check-ups - who normally sighs and tells me that he thinks it looks ok, but this area of the mouth is a grey area for them!

Reccently, I've noticed something that resembles a small raised ulcer (not at all sore like a normal ulcer though), slightly yellowish in colour, that sits at the very bottom of the arch of my soft palate - it is almost obscured by my tongue. Again, it brings the concerns back (fuelled by my non-smoking grandmother having mouth cancer) that this might not be so innocent. So hey-ho, hey-ho, it will shortly be back to the doctors I go!

OK, well the dr took a look. Could see that it was still red and the tiny spots (another appeared today from eating a crisp - this happens often!). She asked about smoking - 'no' and said that she didn't immediately look at it and think 'cancer', and that my age is in my favour. She also stated that mouth cancer is normally not famillial (my nan had it and my mum has white patches).

So the verdict is to go back in six weeks and see if there have been any obvious changes.

Hello Quackers

An option to 'wait and see' is to biopsy the lesion. This could confirm the diagnosis and also remove the lesion.

Best wishes

Vinod

Thank you Dr Joshi. I would be hesitant to go back to the doctors at this point and ask for a biopsy. She only hinted at a hospital referal, but said she would prefer to wait and re-asses. I feel like I've already made too much of a fuss over something that both dentist and doctors have not thought to be serious - feel like I have the potential to be labelled a total pain in the butt!