Mouth mets??

BlueFox

Hi,

I went to the dentist yesterday for a routine check up and the dentist found a couple of white patches inside my cheek and has referred me to a hospital oral specialist but I may not been seen until after Christmas.

I googled white patches in mouth when I got home - these are usually due to either Leukoplakia (medical condition which means White Patches!) or Lichen Planus. Most cases seem to occur in smokers and/or heavy drinkers and I am neither. Leukoplakia and Lichen Planus seem to be pre-cancerous conditions and they usually do a biopsy in case they are actually cancerous.

Apparently these white patches are not uncommon - around 2% of people get them, but they are mostly smokers so I am thinking they must be much less common in the non-smoker population.

I am currently being treated for breast cancer - I finished chemotherapy in March, Mx in April and am still having Herceptin (plus Astrozole for 5 years) and I'm worried in case these white patches could be mouth mets.

Has anyone heard of secondaries spreading to the mouth?

camillegal

Blue Fox another thing o go thru, I'm sorry I'm not familiar with that, but I would thing that if u have to wail ti /dec. the Oral /surgeon is just taking precations for u'r benefit otherwise I would thibk u'r be in the other Drs. office within a week. I hope that's the reason.

YoungTurkNYC

BlueFox,

I had thrush during chemo (fungal infection in the mouth - it happens quite frequently). They appear as white patches in the mouth, Did you ask your onc whether it could be thrush - very easy to treat with mouth wash.

kayfh

My thought exactly, but usually there is burning accompanying the white patches. If it is thrush it should respond to altering the pH of your mouth with lemon juice or vinegar (sauerkraut). You might also consider asking for a prescription for Nystatin (oral). We also used gentian violet on infants (I was a midwife) but it is very messy and you look as if you are eating very large grape popsicles .

If I had to wait for a consult I think I would go with trying nystatin while waiting. It isn't horrible (speaking from experience) and the relief from the discomfort of thrush caused by an overgrowth of candida is almost immediate.

BlueFox

I don't think it can be thrush. Dentists are trained to diagnose mouth problems as well as sort out teeth and if it was just thrush she would have treated me herself rather than referring me on to a hospital specialist.

juniper17

Blue Fox,

I did a little googling of white patches and Herceptin and found a number of references to white patches in the mouth being a side effect of Herceptin. I'd give your oncologist a call to check in about this.

BlueFox

Thanks Juniper, that is reassuring. My dentist did say that it could be connected with my cancer treatment, but I tended to think of Herceptin as being largely side effect-free (other than the cardiac issues).

kayfh

Juniper, that was very enlightening. I have an intermittent sore mouth, burning aching that when I correlate it to the timing of my every three week treatment makes sense. My dentist, oncologist, and family physician are stumped. And we did not link it to to herceptin. We have tried many things, none have worked. Bluefox. There are myriad side effects from herceptin, over and above the possible cardiac issues not everyone gets off scott free. That being said, for most of us it is an amazing drug! There is a good herceptin thread on this website.