Tongue cancer??? PLZ help diagnose!?

My mom has a painless, flesh-colored bump on the tip of her tongue. It's fairly symmetrical with no discernable border. It started off small (about the size of a wart), grew to about the size of a pea %26amp; has remained pea-sized for aprox 5yrs(!).





Not to assume the worst, BUT she's a pack-a-day smoker (30yrs) w/ a family history of head/neck cancer (1 primary relative, 1 secondary relative).





So. . .cancer? Any other reasonable potential causes?





She has an "ostrich-w/-head-in-the-sand" mentality on this and is somewhat resistant to medical care and terrified of dentists. I'm afraid I'm only going to get one shot at getting a diagnosis/treatment plan with her (half-hearted) cooperation.





As such, it would be very helpful if you could also suggest what type of healthcare practicioner (physician? dentist? somebody else?) she should consult with to confirm diagnosis/start treatment.

Tongue cancer??? PLZ help diagnose!?
You answered this youself. Oral cancer bumps are usually painful. If she's had this bump not increase for 5yrs then it pretty much eliminates cancer. A salivary gland MAY be clogged.





Go see your doctor to treat it. GL!
Reply:Doesn't sound like tongue cancer and you sound extremely well versed. I'd be more concerned if that happened to a pipe smoke, who lets the "pipe" part rest on the lip near the tongue tip. However, I would suggest that she see an internist - it is probably no more than a clogged little area, but, to ease everyone's mind, hit the doc and let him look at it.....chances are she'll also stop having it in the back of her mind all the time when it's cured. Good luck to both of you!
Reply:I believe (but I am not a dr.) that oral cancer is like an ulcer type lesion. It could be a blocked salivary duct. I would go to a dentist who usually checks for oral cancer during check ups.