Ulcer turned cancerous.

Hi bright and welcome. My neighbour had the same as you. Just a bit if her tongue cut out and she’s fine. 
Nothing prodded your cancer into life. Cancer has a life of its own. Most cancers further back in the throat are due to HPV virus, not many tongue cancers are. It’s just bad luck. Tongue cancer is on the rise even in youngsters so there is something driving them, something that has changed fairly recently whether it’s diet lifestyle or something else, who knows. 
Anyway. The person to ask is your consultant. 
So pleased you’ve got away lightly. Well done 

Hi Beesuit, I'm seeing a consultant Monday. I'm going to type out what happened and what I want to know as I always forget when I'm there sat in the room. Thanks

Hi. Yes it’s always handy to type the questions out. Do two copies and give one to your consultant. Good luck and let us know how you get on. 

Hi brightke

I had tongue cancer just over 3 years ago I thought it was an ulcer but it was caught early and I only needed surgery and a neck dissection and, so far, so good. It’s being told that throws you, it did me, but the cancer teams are all amazing.  I’ve not had to make any life changes so, fingers crossed for you, you’ll be able to write the same in a couple of years time. Take care

Hi Smee19,

When you thought it was an ulcer - was it something that just appeared or did you damage your tongue like I did with  a denture?

Unknown said:

When you thought it was an ulcer - was it something that just appeared or did you damage your tongue like I did with  a denture?

Maybe your tongue was damaged because cancer was already there but unseen? That’s a possibility 

Yes, I guess that's a possibility. I'm seeing a consultant Monday and this time I'm going to make sure I ask the questions that are bugging me.

Hi

Sorry to hear about what’s going on with you. 
It’s strange isn’t it. I was eating a piece of crusty bread and a pice of the bread stuck in the roof of my mouth which caused a fairly big blood blister. Didn’t bother me really but after a couple of weeks it disappeared then reappeared 5 times over a period of about 9 months or so. 
just looked like an ulcer to start with so I ignored it. Then on the 5th time it appeared I had a right good look with a magnifying light and saw it looked different, blue/purple on 1 half and white in the other. It certainly did not look right. To cut a long story short I had a biopsy whilst awake and they dropped some of the tissue either down my throat or up the suction machine (it happens I suppose), my biopsy came back benign. I then was advised to have it removed which I did under anaesthesia. The sample showed adenoid cystic carcinoma. I’ve since had neck dissection, left maxillectomy with reconstruction of palate and maxilla with free flap from left forearm. Prev fit and well non smoker, not big drinker
when I asked-they said it’s one of those things, never know sometimes what causes cancer?? Was it there before the crusty bread speared my palate , was it something else?? Never know ??? 
So I think yes injury can lead to cancer. 
good luck with your procedure 

elaine

I completely understand you trying to seek a precise explanation of why you got cancer, but in many cases it just happens to happen, and we may end up associating it with something that is quite coincidental.

Logically, if a denture could rub a sore that could turn cancerous within months, or any other minor injury to the mouth could quickly turn cancerous, then such cancers would be incredibly common, and they aren’t.

I don’t know what predisposed me to a mouth cancer. Was it the toothpaste I used, a dental treatment, something I ate, something genetic, something to do with my immune system?

Smoking and heavy drinking are the most common causes of mouth cancer, apparently, and I did neither.

My (admittedly non medical) view is that a denture is unlikely to create a cancer, although it may help draw attention to one that was destined to happen anyway.

Sometimes cancer happens without a single obvious cause.

No denture but it felt like I had a sharp tooth rubbing on my tongue for about 2 months before I noticed the ulcer. And I seemed to have a sore throat that wouldn’t go away.