Throat Pain

[rednihil]

I'm a 19 y/o male who quit smoking about 2 months ago (pack a day for a year and a half, on and off throughout high school); I've gotten past most withdrawl symptoms however my anxiety is very high. I have pain in my throat - seemingly in the trachea or esophagus (for several weeks) thats very mild and comes and goes, sometimes its like a sore throat, sometimes its like a short (3 seconds or less) "pinch" or fiery pain; it seems to show up in slightly different areas (also comes up in my chest at times), I've done alot of online cancer research which just makes me more anxious (I didn't have any ear pain until I read that its a symptom - now I sometimes do...very mild); I've looked in my mouth and dont seem to have any discoloration, but a do have a lump at the way back of my mouth slightly to the right but almost directly centered (when i open my mouth wide and look straight in its almost perfectly radially symmetrical in the center to my lips), its oval in shape and about 1 cm by .3 cm, its not white or any odd color (it almost seems like it may be my spine). Aside from accidental deaths, everyone in my family makes it several years past life expectancy and nearly everyone smokes the majority of their lives. I try to tell myself that its all just in my head but then I just get anxious again; I want to go to a doctor but have no insurance and wont for several months; I know i really shouldnt have throat cancer at 19 with no genetic predisposition but stranger things have happened; I just want some peace of mind. Thanks.

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi. You most probably don't have any cancer at this point.  You're right, smoking can cause cancer. But it takes about fifteen to twenty years from your initial exposure to cigarette smoke before cancer develops.  I'm glad about your decision to quit now.  The earlier you quit smoking, the lesser your risk for cancer becomes.

I'm not sure what the lump in the back of your mouth is.  I can't tell you what it is without having seen it.  You may wish to have it checked by a doctor just to make sure, but most likely, its not going to be anything serious. The pain in your throat may be due to an infection. Again, consulting a doctor would help.

Relax! You've made the right decision in quitting.  I'm sure everything will turn out fine.