Can this hard and tender lump inside my lower cheek be cancerous?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 25 years old. Just under my right jawline, I had a tender pain, a couple of days later it had swelled. Now, that has gone down but there seems to be a bump inside my lower cheek where the gums meet the cheek. It seems thick or hard, not moveable, and more on the inside of the cheek rather than gum. I cannot see it but I can feel it with my tongue. I drink on the weekends and have used tobacco pounds for the past four years or so on average twice a day. The lump is tender, not painful, and not visible.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The symptoms that you have described are most common to an infection-related swelling associated with a cavitated tooth. This can be easily diagnosed by a clinical examination (you can check by yourself or send a picture) followed by an X-ray (IOPA). If however, there is no evident cause related to the tooth, it could also have originated in the gums (could be due to food lodgement or an acute manifestation of chronic periodontitis). In that case, you must get an OPG (orthopantomogram) X-ray done.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It is very difficult to comment on the cancerous nature of the swelling without having a look at the pictures or, better still a clinical examination along with X-rays. However, a decrease in swelling would not normally be consistent with cancer. Usually, all possible differential diagnoses are eliminated before a neoplastic one is considered.

Normally, the lesion or pathology would be observed for at least two weeks to see if it heals with the symptomatic treatment provided or disappears by itself. Following this, we consider biopsy as indicated. I would suggest you get a dental check-up done, eliminate all factors and if it does not subside, then you can give it a second thought.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.