Does this sound like early signs of gum cancer? have just noticed a small lump on my gum . it dosent hurt and it almost feels like a swollen gland you would have on your neck. i have started useing chewing tobacco which i am stoping now and i know this in

Diagnosing : Diagnosing a problem such as yours cannot be done without an examination and radiographs. Thankfully you have stopped the smokeless tobacco. Since you are a minor, any treatment needed will need your parent's consent. Forget about alarming them... They need to know so that they can take care of you. Tell them asap and have your condition evaluated.

I : I am sure your parents would be more upset if you kept a problem from them. You do not have to tell them that you are using chewing tobacco, just that you have a problem that needs to be looked at. It is best to ask them to take you to your dentist for an evaluation while the lesion is still present. Confide in the dentist your use of smokeless tobacco. Based on the exam, your dentist can recommend the proper course of treatment. As you deduced, smokeless tobacco is detrimental to your oral health. The tobacco product contains numerous products that can produce gum disease and can lead to changes in tissue that can progress to cancer. Just because you are young you are not immune to its adverse effects. Ironically this is national oral cancer month. Your dentist can perform an oral screening to rule out problems caused by you tobacco use.

In : In general, we look for three things when it comes to lesions: size, color, and shape. If the lesion grows fast in a short period of time generally it's not a good sign and the more the color is the same as the sorounding gum generally that is a better sign. As far as the shape if the borders are smooth it 's better than when the border of the lesion is rough. Having said that i would quit the tobacco chewing and get it checked out with a dentist. This could be as simple as a fibroma which could be caused sometimes by trauma to the area. If the dentist wants to be 100% sure of what it is he/she can always take a biopsy. Because you are young and it takes many years for tobacco to cause a cancerous lesion i would not be too concerned though.

Not sure: Go see a dentist, oral surgeon or a ear nose and throat doctor to be safe. Glad you quit the chewing tobacco.