Maxillo Facial Surgery referral

Hi Bea21 

It’s good that you are being seen quickly. If this is leukoplakia it has the potential to become a cancer. Your GP isn’t sure so he is sending you to Maxfac who will know. Hopefully it isn’t. 
You’ll likely get a full mouth exam and a feel of your neck for any swellings. If there is something suspicious the consultant will either do a biopsy there and then or arrange for one to be done asap. 
Hold onto the fact that 90% of referrals aren’t cancer. 
Good luck. 

Hi welcome to our small community group. The 2 week cancer pathway is the quickest  way of being seen try not to worry easy to say I know I’ve been there. Just keep this in your mind over 90% of 2 week cancer referrals are not cancer.

Try to keep busy and keep off Dr Google you’ll scare yourself silly. 
Leukoplakia maybe caused by something that’s irritating inside your mouth ,i there’s several types with one I think having a slim chance years down the line of turning into oral cancer if not treated. . I don’t know enough as my cancer was HPV tonsil cancer I do know that our nhs is in the ball and you’ll be well looked after. Good luck on Monday and come back and let us know fingers x for yiu. 

Monday will soon be here. It’s better to be seen than ignore any symptoms.

Hazel 

Hi, thankyou for the kind words. It's so incredibly hard not to worry. I forgot to mention that my lymph nodes on my neck/jaw have been swollen on and off for a week or so now. So I think I've convinced myself that it's bad news already. 

Monday can't come quick enough, but I know that's just tge start of more potential waiting. 

Hi, thankyou for the lovely kind  words. 

I have already fell down the Google rabbit hole, as we all do at some point. I'm making myself sick with worry. 

But I know in the sensible part of my brain that won't help, or change anything. Hopefully Monday brings something, it's the waiting. It almost feels like forever. 

Thankyou again 

Hi everyone,  

So I saw the maxillo Facial team today. She said it doesn't seem like anything sinister.  She thinks likely oral lichen planus. But biopsy is still needed. There was a cancellation for tomorrow but I didn't feel prepared (regretting that now) so its booked in for next week. 

I know I should feel slightly relieved,  but until there's a definite answer or "it's not cancer" I can't shift the worry and anxiety. I thought today might help but I still feel in limbo! 

Hi Bea. The max fax consultant s do know what they are looking at m try now not to stress you've been seen you're in the system next week will soon come round. Theres not lot you can do until then.  Hindsight’s wonderful you can’t do anything about not taking tomorrows appointment now just keep busy. Best wishes for next week and fingers x 

Hazel 

Bea. I have a friend who has suffered off and on for some time. Steroids seem to do the trick. She was told that there is a form of lichen planus that results in pain and ulceration and it is this type that may turn into cancer. The painless one is usually harmless  

I have a lesion just like this inside my cheek  it’s never bothered me  

I hope that this helps your anxiety a little. 

Hi Bea

I suffer from oral lichen planus and it took quite a while for the diagnosis as my G.P. kept on saying it was thrush although none of the treatments worked. It made my mouth so painful that I had difficulty eating. Eventually I was seen by a specialist and he prescribed  Kenalog (might go under a different name in the U.K. as I live in Australia) which is a steroid ointment much thicker than a cream so it sticks onto the inside of your mouth and does not wash off with saliva. . It worked a treat and after applying it for a couple of days it really settled things down. I did ask at the time if it was pre cancerous and I was told that it had an extremely low chance of becoming cancer.

Hope you get a good outcome, the worrying does your head in.

Lyn

Ooh, you are lucky as the 2ww is now 62 days! I'm still waiting for something similar to be investigated. I wonder if the referral is quicker from a. GP rather than a dentist, anyone?

Gemmary said:

I wonder if the referral is quicker from a. GP rather than a dentist,

No but referrals get lost in the system. Find out who you are referred to and ring their secretary