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tman55
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 Posted - 03/10/2012 : 13:27:49
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I'm a 30 year old white male. Generally in good health. A smoker though :(
I noticed this dark spot on my lip a few months ago. It looks to me like it might be cancerous. Does anyone know exactly what it is? And if so, the best way to proceed?
(I think the red marks you can see on my lip are from their being chapped the past few days)
If I quit smoking, is it possible that it could go away on its own, or stay benign? Can I just take a picture of it and monitor it over time? Or do I absolutely positively have to get it check/biopsied by a dermatologist (I don't have health insurance), and if so what it a realistic timeline of treatment?
Thank you guys!
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dan
611 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2012 : 01:42:35
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Hi tmann55, that's a great picture but a doctor is your best bet for a diagnosis. However, whenever I wonder about a questionable spot being cancerous, I apply orange oil (d-limonene) with a cotton pad and see if there is a stinging reaction a few minutes later. If there is a stinging or burning sensation about a minute after the application, this is an indication there is a problem. (You may get stinging on broken skin without it being potentially cancerous.) Any stinging should go away in about 25 minutes. I have found this non-invasive orange oil test to be useful and accurate but, of course, nothing is perfect. Many times I have been surprised by the orange oil test results, so I feel that reading a picture to make a diagnosis is more prone to error.
Be sure to try orange oil first on problem free skin to see that there is no reaction. Some people may be allergic to orange oil. The orange oil should cost about $5. http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2274028 I have found orange oil can also be a treatment but it takes several (~6) weeks. There is a large amount of credible research on d-limonene and cancer to look up online if you are interested. |
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bonder
186 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2012 : 11:45:08
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Greetings Tmann,
I just came across this link for orals that showed me (its not always cancer)
But,
I am convinced I made the right decision not to be a smoker these days...
http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/slide_show.htm
One thing is for sure, if you quit, your odds of making that thing grow into the size of a quarter goes way down and as a man just over the 50-year mark, I can tell you that many like myself will advise that things take a heck of a lot more time to heal in general if they have the ability to heal at all.
Dan is right about the orange oil thing and as a matter of fact, vitamin C may be the answer to something as early-stage as yours.
"Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties are legendary, which is why the nutrient is often fraudulently attacked by researchers whose agenda is the dislike of natural health. New scientific tools are proving the absolute value of nutrition to assist health. It is often the case the nutrients do multiple things in addition to the well-recognized understanding of their basic function. The fact that vitamin C can repair DNA damage in skin1 is not a trivial new finding.
"We already know that vitamin C is needed for collagen formation and now we understand a new mechanism that enhances wound healing. The new study shows that the carpenter cells of skin, fibroblasts, are stimulated into action by vitamin C, helping them to multiply and move about in skin to do their work. Additionally, vitamin C was shown to repair the DNA of damaged fibroblasts, returning them back to health.
Since ionizing radiation of the sun induces DNA damage to skin and fibroblasts, this finding is of high importance for those concerned about skin health. It means keep you vitamin C levels adequate not only to help your immune system but to help anti-age your skin. Of course, healthier skin also is part of your immune system, as your skin barrier is a front line defense system."
Maybe start chewing on pens or gum, thats what I did in my younger days and so far nothing bad directly related to the inside lip, just the outside under my nose...
There is (more) practical home-experience here than in any clinic I been to but, it looks like the doc's office is usually the best place to go for many diagnosis issues.
My position is,
Benign or malignant, If it were me,I'd want that thing off of me via youtube research,friendly advice, change in diet or behavior and doing some research here until you become familiar with most of the things folks did to help themselves.
Be Well Always,
Bonder |
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Question about dark spot on lip
