NetWellness Oral Cancer

Recurring Ulcers in Mouth

Enver Ozer MD — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:01:00 EST

Question: Hi I get frequent painful ulcers in my mouth that seem to take forever to heal. They generally last for 2 weeks or more. I`ve mentioned this to my dr but she doesn`t seem to be concerned however I`ve always heard that mouth ulcers lasting more than a week is a sign of something more serious...Is thi . . .

Answer: Already healed ulcers might not be concerning. But if anything persists more than two weeks, or if these chronic ulcer problems continue, I recommend you to be seen by an ENT or oral surgeon. Thanks.

Ask an Expert: Enver Ozer MD, Oral Cancer

Recurring Bump on Roof of Mouth

Amit Agrawal MD — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EST

Question: For the past 2 months, I have had a recurring pimple sized bump on the top of my hard palate. Two dentists have examined with a panoramic x-ray. They are unsure and can't see anything out of the ordinary. Basically it starts as what looks like a pimple, grows, then crusts, and then reduces to nothin . . .

Answer: Unfortunately it is not possible to provide a diagnosis based upon this format. For persistent lesions, evaluation by a specialist such as oral surgeon or ENT (ear, nose, throat) physician is appropriate.

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer

Lumps on Tongue

Amit Agrawal MD — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EST

Question: I have two lumps on the left hand side of my tongue. 1 is painless the other appears to be an ulcer with some pain. They have been there for aprox six weeks. I have seen 3 gp`s and a dentist and have tried several mouth washes, orabase paste, Bonjella, Iglu and I have just finished a 7 day course of . . .

Answer: Unfortunately, this forum is not designed to diagnose or provide specific medical advice. In general, if someone has a mouth lesion that does not improve and remains persistent, this should be evaluated by an ENT (Ear, nose, throat physician) or oral surgeon.

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Tongue

Enver Ozer MD — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:10:00 EST

Question: My mother aged 52 is suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of tongue.She had two sessions of chemotherapy ,presently undergoing tibetan treatment from her doctor. However,her tongue has swell to such an extent that she finds it difficult to even drink something.Is there any way out ,that how to giv . . .

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness. PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube placement to the stomach is a frequent way to feed the patients during and after the treatment of head and neck cancer patients until they get all the nutrients by mouth. Thanks.

Ask an Expert: Enver Ozer MD, Oral Cancer

Roof of Mouth Heat Sensitive

Carl Allen DDS, MSD — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:07:00 EST

Question: The roof of my mouth becomes sensitive after consuming hot food. I am suspicious that it may be caused through using sensitive toothpaste or taking Nexium.

Do you have any suggestions as I regularly go to the dentist and he considers that there is no serious problem but will refer me to a speci . . .

Answer: While this doesn't sound like a serious problem, there would be several things to consider as possible causes. In addition to a contact hypersensitivity reaction (allergy to some food or product your mouth is coming into contact with), conditions such as burning mouth syndrome and oral candidiasis ( . . .

Ask an Expert: Carl Allen DDS, MSD, Oral Cancer

Black Spot on the Tongue

Amit Agrawal MD — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:06:00 EST

Question: Last year my relative had a dark spot on his tongue. The doctor told him it was not cancer, and had it surgically removed. After a year this thing came back and it is bigger in size and looks black. Several doctors told him it was a blood vessel tumor on his tongue and if try to remove it, it will c . . .

Answer: Unfortunately, this forum is not appropriate for specific individual advice. However, if this was some type of blood vessel tumor as you describe, it should be evaluated by a head and neck surgeon. This is usually an ear, nose, and throat physician, possibly even at a tertiary type center such as a . . .

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer

Odds of Oral Cancer from HPV

Amit Agrawal MD — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:06:00 EST

Question: I am concerned about the possibility of developing oral cancer. I tested HPV positive 4 years ago (positive the first year, negative (I guess dormant) the second year and positive the following 2 years). I just got my first abnormal pap this month (ASCUS) and a colposcopy was performed determining . . .

Answer: I have discussed this with my gynecology-oncology colleagues. Most cervical HPV screenings look at a panel of several HPV types (9 different tumor associated strains), and as this does not currently affect our clinical decision-making.

Currently individual strains are typically not teste . . .

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer

White Hard Bump on the Side of My Tongue

Carl Allen DDS, MSD — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:05:00 EST

Question: Hi I went to my regular doctor about six months ago with a purple vein that was rasied on the side of my toung. It went a way after a month or two. Now there is a hard white bump in the same place that looks ike a blister but is hard and about 3/32` across ad 1/16" high. Should I worry about th . . .

Answer:

Thank you for visiting NetWellness. It would be impossible to say what this was without doing a complete examination. If it lasts for longer than 2 weeks, then should make an appointment to see an oral pathologist for further evaluation. Oral pathology is the only specialty of dentistry o . . .

Ask an Expert: Carl Allen DDS, MSD, Oral Cancer

HPV in tongue of a 6 years old girl

Amit Agrawal MD — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:03:00 EST

Question: recently my 6 years old daugther was diagnosed with a single papiloma, suddenly, 5 more papilomas apeared in diferent sites of her tongue after de surgical removing of the 1st one. they are located in the borders of the tongue. we have gone trough a lot of tests, one of them (scratching of the lesio . . .

Answer: Thank you for visiting NetWellness. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to make a recommendation for a treatment center as your daughter's diagnosis is not a well-defined condition with defined recommendations. You might try contacting OSU Pediatric Otolaryngology at the link be . . .

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer

Bumps at the Back of Oropharynx

Amit Agrawal MD — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:02:00 EST

Question: for about a month now, ive noticed bumps of various sizes at the back of my oropharnx. Also I have a sore/burning sensation at the back of my throat and I have a small white patch about a couple of millimeters in size at the soft part on the roof of my mouth. I went to the dentist and they said ther . . .

Answer: Unfortunately it is not possible to make a diagnosis based upon your description or this particular forum. If your condition is of concern, it is best to have this evaluated by a specialist such as an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat physician).

Ask an Expert: Amit Agrawal MD, Oral Cancer