I went to a dentist february 2012; the dentist said that he saw signs of cancer. should i go get a check up? according to what i know, there has never been a history of cancer in my family; i haven't been to the doctors for a regular check up in a pretty

Hello. : Hello. Dentists are trained to recognize signs of possible cancer in the mouth and surrounding structures. By all means, follow through and have this formally assessed. If it is malignant it needs treatment, if it is not malignant you be greatly reassured. If a dental / medical expert provides this recommendation - it would be very prudent to follow it. Take care.

Having : Having signs of cancer and actually having a malignancy are two different things. The only way to determine with any certainty is to have the suspicious tissue analyzed to determine its exact nature. Referral to a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the first step in this process. The surgeon can further evaluate the lesion and, if necessary, take a portion (or all if small) of it for analysis. The fact that there has not been a family history of cancer is not a guarantee that you cannot get it. Environmental and personal factors, such as tobacco use, can influence the occurrence of cancer. Also infections with the hpv virus is on the rise along with the cancer that it can cause. This is becoming a greater problem with the younger generations than tobacco use. Cancer in a 20 year old is rare, but any suspicious tissue needs to be evaluated. Do your self a favor and get it check out. If the cancer is caught early it is readily treatable. April is national oral cancer awareness month...Seen a dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon for a screening.

Did : Did your dentist do a biopsy? If not, contact him to recommend an oral surgeon for the biopsy. Always better safe than sorry. Fyi, not all biopsies mean cutting. Most first line screening is just a scraping. At your age, it is quite rare, especially with your family history. Best wishes!

If : If you went to the dentist in february 2012 and he said that he saw signs of cancer than you need to go have it checked. Oral cancer is 80-90% success rate if found early. I would call an oral surgeon and go to him and see if they can biopsy the area. That is the only way to truly know if in fact you have a cancerous lesion in your mouth. Good luck.