mouth cancer

Posted by Ken on July 15, 1999 at 19:45:51
Hello
I am a 24 year old male. I have been using smokeless tabacco for approx 10 years The last 6-7 have been rather consistant using about one can a day. I have noticed the reduction in my gum line where i place the tabacco, but recently i have noticed a discoloration approx two teeth away where the chew is placed. It is a darker greyish color it dose not produce any pain nor dose it respond any differently to touch. For the past few years i have been inspecting my mouth as the fear of cancer became a reality when my father in law died from cancer. I have a appointment with my doctor in about a week but i am looking for some sort of answer so it dose not ambush me thank you for your time
Posted by SA, M.D. - HVMA on July 16, 1999 at 13:03:33
Dear Ken,
It's impossible to diagnose a skin lesion without seeing it.  Make sure that you get to that appointment, and if this turns out to be a false alarm, keep in mind that if you continue to chew, the odds that you will develop a life-threatening malignancy continue to go up and up.  If you need help quitting, take a look at http://www.drsteve.org and consult a tobacco dependence expert in your area.
DrSteve
Keywords: smokeless tobacco, cancer