My husband has smoked and dipped since he was 16. He is now 22 and has been sick for a year. I am not 100% sure that this has anything to do with his illness, but I feel that it might. When I say sick, I mean that he has been dealing with a sore throat for a while and just recently he is having difficulty breathing because he says it feels like his throat is closing and he has trouble swallowing also. He says that he has something toward the back of his tongue that builds up. He scrapes it off, but it comes back. Also, he says he feels like there is something in his throat, like a lump or something. This is pretty much all of his symptoms. He won't go to the doctor because he is scared that he'll tell him he has cancer. I really want to know if someone here knows what these symptoms may mean. I am worried sick about him and am trying very hard to get him to the doctor. Please let me know what you think. I am very scared. He is so young.

Thank you

His symptoms could be caused by many different diseases or conditions and the smoking and dipping [don't know what this term means] may just be making it worse.

Try to get a detailed description of all of his symptoms, including when they're at their worst. The most common symptoms associated with cancer are: sudden weight loss, fever, night sweats, rapid pulse, extreme fatigue, inability to fight off infections, pallor [unusual paleness of the skin], petechiea [pinpoint bleeding on the skin due to burst capillaries], reduced blood clotting ability [cuts bleed longer], susceptibility to bruising [bruises easily and bruises last a long time], and unexplained swelling including lumps or bumps.

Here's the government cancer site:
http://www.nci.nih.gov/

There are many other possibilities such as mononucleosis, strep, staph, oral thrush, etc. or a toxin.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html

Mononucleosis: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000591.htm

Strep: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/streptococcalinfections.html

Staph: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/staphylococcalinfections.html

Oral thrush: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000966.htm

hi... i am sorry you are having to go through this. I am 14 and am being tested for cancer on friday. I have lumps all over my legs... i am so scared. Your husband needs to go to the doctor. It sounds like he has a tumor in his throat. If he doesnt get help the tumor could kill him by busting open. To me it sounds like it might already have a hole in it and that is what he keeps scraping off his tongue is the sap from the tumor. Just a guess though. If you want to talk anytime
-nickie

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 08-20-2002).]