Leukoplakia Oral

Question: how long does it take for leukoplakia to progress to oral cancer? i dipped for about 9 months off and on and i had leukoplakia at one point and im using it rarely now. im seeing a dentist tomorrow but im afraid that i might somehow have cancer. i read somewhere that it takes 10-20 years which reassures me. im quitting cold turkey but i need to know if i have a >5% chance of having cancer

Answer: no chance for having cancer dude ur fine good decision for quitting tho i should too staining my teeath

Question: what does the beginning stages of oral hairy leukoplakia look like?

Answer: Oral hairy leukoplakia is white patches which appear on the lateral sides of the tongue, and is related to Epstein-Barr virus, almost pathognomonic of HIV infection. It is not premalignant.

Question: oral hairy leukoplakia and no hiv? My doctor says I have oral hairy leukoplakia. I have had 3 hiv tests since then and she reassures me they were all negative.so i dont have hiv. but everything i read says hiv. she put me on acyclovir and the symptoms come and go but will not go away completely. so something must be causing it. My doc says it comes from smoking but everything i read says it has to do with the immune system as it is not regular leukoplakia it is oral hairy. im not sure to trust this doc as she missed a tumor on my cervix when i was pregnant the sixe of a tennis ball which turned out to be cervical cancer. i just dont know what to do. what else could cause oral hairy leukoplakia if i do not have hiv??? [please help me

Answer: If you've had three negative tests, I'm sure you are negative. Usually, the testing is done by an outside source, not in office. I think that since this is causing you so much worry, you really need to see another Doctor for a second opinion. In fact, considering that she missed that tumor, I would find another Dr. completely. This is the only way you will find some peace of mind. Good luck.

Question: images of oral lichen planus or leukoplakia..any1? i need some images or pics of oral manifestation of skin conditions like lichen planus or leukoplakia for my project report.. can any1 provide the link for the same? thanx:)

Answer: Go to WebMd.com

Question: HIV and Oral Conditions--URGENT? I read that certain oral conditions are either usually or primarily found in HIV-positive patients. Conditions like Oral Candidiasis, Oral Hairy Leukoplakia, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), etc. If I do not have any of the oral conditions associated with HIV-positive patients, either usually or primarily associated with them, does that mean I do not have HIV? Or can I still have HIV? This question assumes I had sex with a stranger whose HIV-status I don't know. To be honest, I haven't gotten tested in about 6 months and it's been 6 months since I last had sex...So I guess I had sex a bit after my last test...Would the absence of any oral symptoms for 6 months mean I don't have HIV?

Answer: Just because you don't have those, doesn't mean you're not HIV positive. Get tested QUICK. And stop fooling around with strangers, or people that you don't know that well. That's how the disease spreads.

Question: why isn't acyclovir used to treat viral infections other than herpes simplex? Acyclovir is used to treat herpes and sometimes HIV, oral hairy leukoplakia, or epstein-barr. Why isn't it effective against the common cold or other viruses? Also, does it need to be taken persistently and long-term to combat viral outbreaks, or only for 7-14 days? I'm curious from a medical perspective (I'm not a patient), so feel free to be technical in your reply.

Answer: Just like with antibiotics that are active against bacteria in different ways (mechanisms of action), antiviral medications also target different mechanisms -- usually the reproduction cycle. The two main requirements for medication choices: - the process that it prevents/interupts must be an integral process of viral replication -the agent/drug is active against the virus while having an acceptable toxicity to the host organism. The antiviral drugs are made up of different chemicals (nucleoside analogs that can target viral polymerase and in some cases reverse transcriptase; peptide analogues that target HIV protease; Triazole carboxamide, which mutates RNA, eg. ribavirin -- broad spectrum as it works on HCV, HSV, measles, mumps, Lassa fever etc.; tricyclic amines that target surface structural proteins; neuraminic acid mimetic that targets the neuraminic inhibitor; small cyclic chemicals that block attachment and uncoating; and proteins that target the activation of cell defense proteins. Attachment, Penetration/Uncoating, Genome replication, Gene Expression, and Assembly/Maturation/Release are the main targets in the viral replication cycle that agents target. Every virus is different and some drugs are simply more effective against certain viruses and less against others. It may have to do with the particulars of the viral replication cycle, makeup of the virus' coat, etc.,. The duration of antiviral treatment is different for most viral infections and can depend on the virus in question, host factors (compromised immune system etc.), stage of disease/viral load, as well as other co-conditions. Hope this helps

Question: can i have cancer from using chewing tobacco for about 7 to 8 months? I used chewing tobacco for 7 to 8 months and now im off it. i chose to quit because i am deathly afraid to obtaining oral cancer. i have never seen leukoplakia in my mouth but i still freak out. I dipped probably an average of twice a day also

Answer: very very unlikley . chewing tobbaco contains additive that does freeze your gums , you dont have a thing to worry about . stay calm you definatly have zero to worry about . thank you

Question: oral hygiene question? I was wondering about (hairy) leukoplakia...I had a recent hiv scare, which seems to have been resolved, but i still have my doubts as a partial hypochondriac :P I understand it's probably nothing but it still brings about some concern. When I was going through the scare, i examined my tongue alot for any of those signs of leukoplakia. just a white spot on my tongue where i'd bitten it subconsciously in my nervousness. Nothing major, nothing looking like what i'd seen in the pictures. But now, on the underside of my tongue, on that tight stretch of skin down the center, there's a collection of white...flakes...I say flakes cause I can scrape it off pretty easily. I know HL cant be scraped off so easily so what is this? Perhaps dead skin from stretching my tongue about like a madman?

Answer: probably you answered yourself the best with your last sentence. I would not look at your tongue for at least 3 weeks and then re-check it. If still there, go get a "limited exam" with a dentist and ask them to examine it. From your description, it is most likely what you said in the last sentence. Also could be candidiasis (not a major issue) -- but overall not something I am worried about. (it is not uncommon for people to get a white "frictional keratosis" on the frenum of the tongue from sticking their tongue out too much...it should go away...your description of what you were doing would perfectly explain the condition under the tongue. Take care.)

Question: Do I have symptoms of oral cancer? just asking....? I have been experiencing problems lately with the inside of my mouth, as my gums are really white and pale, and when after i bush my teeth, i feel white sticky stuff come out of my mouth like a string then more starts to build up, not sure if that's leukoplakia or not, and I'll be positive, I do not brush my teeth that much, also my tongue is like really white, like thrush, but it has bumps in the back of my tongue....? I have been experiencing problems lately with the inside of my mouth, as my gums are really white and pale, and when after i bush my teeth, i feel white sticky stuff come out of my mouth like a string then more starts to build up, not sure if that's leukoplakia or not, and I'll be positive, I do not brush my teeth that much, also my tongue is like really white, like thrush, but it has bumps in the back of my tongue....? I do not smoke cigs, or do drugs, however i drink rarely, i drink coffee all the time, I do not excersice....I have insomnia sometimes....

Answer: Symptoms of oral cancers: * jaw swelling * difficulty chewing/swallowing * white, red patch in your mouth * pain in an ear with no hearing loss * difficulty moving your jaw, tongue * feeling that something is caught in your throat * tongue numbness, numbness in other areas of your mouth * sore, irritated, lump, thick patch in your mouth, lip or throat

Question: Do I have Pre-Mouth Cancer? I am a 20 year old male and have been dipping long cut off and on for about 5 years. I would say I dip an average of 3 of 4 times a day. I was just wondering if anyone knew what pre-cancer (oral leukoplakia) looks like at its beginning stages. When I dip, I try to move it around but it always tends to end up on my left side of the lower lip and last week I had a lot of studying to do which led to me dipping more than normal. In this spot where my dip usually tends to be for the majority of the time I have kind of a white spot. It started off more noticable but now after a couple of days it has lessened and I am hoping that it will eventually go away for good. I looked online and saw pictures of other people with pre-cancer and their white spots are way more severe than mine. I know the easy answer is to just quit and I have quit before and I don't have much trouble doing it but I enjoy dipping. Has anyone had this happen to them and if so did it eventually go away?

Answer: Probable pre lp. Quit till it resolves. If it recurrs, get a local biopsy.