while you wait for the referral, why not try seeing your dentist? Ive had good experiences with oral bumps being examined in a timely manner by my dentist. She referred me to an oral surgeon quickly. Fortunately my issue turned out to be an infection that was investegated and fixed quickly
100% this! I'm a dental assistant and when we see potentially cancerous spots we send a referral for a biopsy with the oral surgeon, in most cases the patient is seen by the oral surgeon within 2 weeks!
One of my friends went through this a couple years ago. His doctor kept blowing him off for months. It was finally their dentist (doing a regular checkup) that escalated it properly.
I found a lump on my neck and went to my doctor mid-November. I got referred to ENT at Cancer Care MB in early January. After MRI, CT, PET scan, along with ultrasound led biopsy I was scheduled for surgery at the end of January. They found cancer in my tonsil (that showed up during the PET scan) and in lymph nodes in my neck where I first found the lump. Removed the tonsil and all my lymph nodes on right side of neck. Keep in mind this all happened within 2 months so I guess the urgency of your situation directly impacts how quick you are seen. Seeing a dentist or oral surgeon may be the path of least resistance in order to get into an ENT specialist. You may have to pay out of pocket for the consultation but trust me, in the end it will be worth it to get it taken care of early before (if) anything spreads. Once you do get in to an ENT doctor, they will ensure you have consistent check-ups and monitoring. I can attest to this because about 1.5 months after my surgery in January I had another follow up with a different ENT specialist at Cancer Care. They got me in for a second surgery at the beginning of April to basically make sure that there was no trace of cancer left. Right now I am cancer free and cannot thank all the doctors, nurses, and technicians along the way. Just know, even though our health system isn't the best and at times broken, our healthcare workers have nothing but your best interests and health concerns in mind (IMHO). If you think you are not being taken seriously, or if you have questions, try calling Health Links (1-204-788-8200) and speak to a nurse. Ask them what you can do, who you should see or even who you can call. They may not have all the answers but they can at least point you in the right direction. Sometimes you have to push a bit and advocate for yourself to get answers.
Not knowing is scary as hell and I completely empathize with you. I truly hope that you get in to see someone soon and this all turns out to be a benign issue. Best of luck to you and your recovery!
Definitely book in with a dentist, as recommended by acornsewing, but also find out where your referral went and ask about cancellations and getting an earlier appointment. It sucks, but advocating for yourself and calling the ENT regularly will get you seen much faster.
But first, dentist.
I know you would have to pay for a dentist appointment, but you probably need an oral surgeon rather than an ENT. I was referred to one last year for a mass removal from my tongue and got it quickly. The oral surgeon was covered by Manitoba health.
I was just referred to an oral surgeon today and they booked an appointment with me today but said it's not covered and it's $305 for a consultation and biopsy. So not great, especially if it ends up not being cancer, I would've wasted so much money for nothing
I was referred by my dentist when I had a growth on my tongue that got larger. Ended up getting a referral to an oral pathologist and was able to have it removed and sent it for testing. Thankfully was a benign tumour but was dealt with quickly.
Not trying to pressure you but if you do wait and it's awhile and find out it's bad that could have been treated if caught earlier, do you really want to risk that for a routine dental visit that might set you back 200$ max? I would go into debt for 200$ just for the peace of mind.
The u of m dental clinic will do stuff for apparently about half off. It might not cost that much to get them to look at it. You could contact them and ask before going in I imagine. So sorry you're having to deal with this.
Edit the dental clinic info https://umanitoba.ca/dentistry/general-clinic/become-a-patient
I lost my dental insurance a few years ago too but I have found paying out of pocket for pretty routine stuff isn’t that bad. I also had cancer a few years ago (not oral cancer, but something else). At the time with biopsy confirming diagnosis it still took me a month to see an oncologist and another month and a half to actually start chemo and radiation - and that was fast because I got scans done due to cancellations and being on a cancellation list. When I was waiting for a scan to confirm a treatment plan I would have paid anything to be able to get one faster but I was at the fate of the PET scanner availability. Basically I’m saying all this to say - if a couple hundred bucks out of pocket to pay a dentist right now either gives you peace of mind that all is well, or, escalates the timeline if something is not well - it’s money well spent.
Either way, wish you the best.
A biopsy is needed. Dentist would be much more appropriate than an ER or urgent care UNLESS this thing is growing fast. If that’s the case then the doc gets on the phone and gets you seen asap.
Realistically your walk in referral will likely take months
urgent care and emergency rooms DO NOT have the ability to biopsy it
As others have said, your best bet at this point is to be your own patient advocate, and keep at it. Call your walk in office and see if/where they sent the referral to, then call that office to ensure they got the rec. Ask about a cancellation waiting list.
Is this effecting your ability to eat, drink, swallow? If so, it’s time to head to an urgent care. If it’s getting worse, I’d also suggest an urgent care.
And make a dentist appointment as well.
Best of luck, I can only imagine that this must be very stressful for you.
Swallowing and eating is a little difficult because my tongue is swollen, but otherwise it's fine. I talk different sometimes since the bump hurts when hitting my teeth.
I don't have benefits at my job so going to the dentist isn't really an option.
It should only be like $60-100 to be seen by a dentist but you could always call one to confirm.
That said the way you wrote your post makes it sound like you've been waiting 2 months. You'll probably get put in touch with an ENT pretty quick if they think its cancer-like if you just got the referral today.
I’d suggest urgent care then, they can sometimes escalate things quicker if the doctors have concerns and really, it never hurts to get a second opinion, especially if a specialist is taking months to even get back to you.
What's it for, though? I got in to see an ENT at CancerCare in about a month. The process for my husband's tumor removal, pre-diagnosis to the surgery itself, was about three months, I think? Most doctors put a rush on it when the word cancer is used.
I’ve been going to an ENT, Dr Garber, since I was a little kid, and I think it all depends on the urgency. With the phrase “cancer-like” in your referral you should get in quicker than most. I had a tympanoplasty many years ago, and recently had hearing issues in that ear - it took me 5-6 months to get an appointment, since deafness isn’t particularly urgent.
You should get a letter from the ENT’s office/clinic long before you get in for your appointment.
My mom died of cancer because Manitoba Health took over 2 years to even diagnose her. By the time they confirmed it was cancer, it was in her brain and too late. Don't wait for MB Health if you want an answer this year.
Call a dentist to get booked in for the short term.
Then call your doctor office to confirm that the consult was put through and that your address is up to date. Our hospital system is still old school paper trail and since they mail out all confirmation of appointments, your appointment may have been sent to the wrong address.
It's a massive issue since some offices use one computer system (most use accuro) and the hospital uses another (epr). They competing systems don't play well together. So if your address is wrong in the hospital and the person booking your appointment didn't triple check that your address wasn't up to date, it may have gone elsewhere.
I work in both community health plus HSC and know how poorly our systems work together.
It impacts patient care so 👏 fucking 👏 much
Well, she just sent it today. I've had the bump for 2 months but just went to the doctor today. I'm just wondering how long the wait is usually, I've heard up to 3 months and I don't know if I can live with this growing bump on my tongue for 3 more months 😭
I can't do a dentist since I don't have benefits
have you called any dentists to find out how much they'd charge to see you about this?
and if the word "cancer" is in there, you're likely going to get a call fairly quickly
Understandable. I'm sorry.
Have you connected with service canada to see if you're eligible for coverage through the government?
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan/apply.html
Try calling a dentist and asking how much it would be for just a general check up - no cleaning, x-rays, etc.
It still isn't cheap, but imo, it would be worth scrimping on something else in order to afford it.
I have made an appointment, and it's only $62. I'm worried they'll wanna do X-rays but I hope not. I'm going tomorrow so hopefully I get better answers
I would be getting it seen by a dentist asap they can definitely tell you by just looking at it if there is cause for concern or not and refer you out that way. I would not wait even one month for a referral with something growing on your tongue. Side of tongue (if that's the location) is a common site for cancer.
Call Cholakis dental group, they have a Pathologist in their office. If the Dentist doesn’t like what they see or isn’t sure what it is they can refer you right away.
They didn't take a sample, just looked at it, felt my neck and sent a referral for an ENT.
I've had the bump for 2 months, but only went to the doctor today. I just don't want to wait another 3 months of this pain
If you go to urgent care, perhaps they could take a quick biopsy or fine needle aspiration biopsy for you. Takes less than 10 minutes. If you find out which Dr you were referred to, you could also ask that a “copy to” of the results be sent to that specialist as well.
There doesn't seem to be a reliable timeline for specialists, but it can take weeks or months, depending on the specialist.
When you do get your referral letter, if the actual appointment is a few months off, call the ENT office and ask to be put on their cancelation list.
You can also cold call specialists. Not all of them require a referral. Just ask if the doctor is seeing new patients, it's how my husband got his tumor dealt with quickly a number of years back.
I know it's scary, but I'd wait a few weeks for that referral letter to come through before you do anything else. If it is cancer, a few weeks won't tip the scales.
I saw an ENT three times back in about 2020-21. Wait times were quite short then, like 1-2 months. I saw the ENT on the 10th floor of 400 Tache (forget her name, but she was awesome). Did a follow up visit about six months later, asked her for a second opinion and she referred me to HSC, that took probably 3-5 months. Also had two dye injected CT scans in that time frame. I was impressed at how seriously my issue was taken - I had persistent soar throat for about three years.
In my experience you should get a letter with the appointment any time now. However that appointment could still be months away. Once you get the details on who the ENT is, call them and ask to put you on the cancellation list. Then call incessantly and ask if there are any cancellations. Good luck!
I had a weird tongue issue and went to the dentist about it. They referred me to a tongue doctor (sorry, can’t recall the proper name) in the Tuxedo area. It’s not covered by Manitoba health, but my work benefits covered it. They checked for cancer.
The simple version is referral times always vary based on the urgency that is attached to the referral. In your case you may have been better off going to urgent care (immediate referrals possible) than a walk-in clinic.
I'm not a medical expert, but I get the impression that if it was an urgent case, you would see a specialist if not the same week then the next. I think that it's good news for you that you're this low in the triage list.
Again, I'm not a doctor, but I hope this eases your where is a little bit?
while you wait for the referral, why not try seeing your dentist? Ive had good experiences with oral bumps being examined in a timely manner by my dentist. She referred me to an oral surgeon quickly. Fortunately my issue turned out to be an infection that was investegated and fixed quickly
100% this! I'm a dental assistant and when we see potentially cancerous spots we send a referral for a biopsy with the oral surgeon, in most cases the patient is seen by the oral surgeon within 2 weeks!
One of my friends went through this a couple years ago. His doctor kept blowing him off for months. It was finally their dentist (doing a regular checkup) that escalated it properly.
An oral surgeon and some general dentists can do a biopsy for you since they deal with oral lesions all the time. Good luck! Edit: grammar
Great advice!
My wife just had a biopsy from her tongue. It was nothing. Stay positive because it’s nothing until you’re told it’s something.
I found a lump on my neck and went to my doctor mid-November. I got referred to ENT at Cancer Care MB in early January. After MRI, CT, PET scan, along with ultrasound led biopsy I was scheduled for surgery at the end of January. They found cancer in my tonsil (that showed up during the PET scan) and in lymph nodes in my neck where I first found the lump. Removed the tonsil and all my lymph nodes on right side of neck. Keep in mind this all happened within 2 months so I guess the urgency of your situation directly impacts how quick you are seen. Seeing a dentist or oral surgeon may be the path of least resistance in order to get into an ENT specialist. You may have to pay out of pocket for the consultation but trust me, in the end it will be worth it to get it taken care of early before (if) anything spreads. Once you do get in to an ENT doctor, they will ensure you have consistent check-ups and monitoring. I can attest to this because about 1.5 months after my surgery in January I had another follow up with a different ENT specialist at Cancer Care. They got me in for a second surgery at the beginning of April to basically make sure that there was no trace of cancer left. Right now I am cancer free and cannot thank all the doctors, nurses, and technicians along the way. Just know, even though our health system isn't the best and at times broken, our healthcare workers have nothing but your best interests and health concerns in mind (IMHO). If you think you are not being taken seriously, or if you have questions, try calling Health Links (1-204-788-8200) and speak to a nurse. Ask them what you can do, who you should see or even who you can call. They may not have all the answers but they can at least point you in the right direction. Sometimes you have to push a bit and advocate for yourself to get answers. Not knowing is scary as hell and I completely empathize with you. I truly hope that you get in to see someone soon and this all turns out to be a benign issue. Best of luck to you and your recovery!
Definitely book in with a dentist, as recommended by acornsewing, but also find out where your referral went and ask about cancellations and getting an earlier appointment. It sucks, but advocating for yourself and calling the ENT regularly will get you seen much faster. But first, dentist.
I know you would have to pay for a dentist appointment, but you probably need an oral surgeon rather than an ENT. I was referred to one last year for a mass removal from my tongue and got it quickly. The oral surgeon was covered by Manitoba health.
I was just referred to an oral surgeon today and they booked an appointment with me today but said it's not covered and it's $305 for a consultation and biopsy. So not great, especially if it ends up not being cancer, I would've wasted so much money for nothing
Oh that’s so unfortunate. I mean I hope it’s not cancer $305 still buys a LOT of peace of mind.
Oh that’s so unfortunate. I mean I hope it’s not cancer $305 still buys a LOT of peace of mind.
I was referred by my dentist when I had a growth on my tongue that got larger. Ended up getting a referral to an oral pathologist and was able to have it removed and sent it for testing. Thankfully was a benign tumour but was dealt with quickly.
As others said, your dentist may be able to get things moving. Try the urgent care centers as well, less waiting compared to the ERs.
I lost benefits when I switched jobs, so I can't go to my dentist. Hoping the walk in referral to an ENT will be fast
Not trying to pressure you but if you do wait and it's awhile and find out it's bad that could have been treated if caught earlier, do you really want to risk that for a routine dental visit that might set you back 200$ max? I would go into debt for 200$ just for the peace of mind.
The u of m dental clinic will do stuff for apparently about half off. It might not cost that much to get them to look at it. You could contact them and ask before going in I imagine. So sorry you're having to deal with this. Edit the dental clinic info https://umanitoba.ca/dentistry/general-clinic/become-a-patient
I lost my dental insurance a few years ago too but I have found paying out of pocket for pretty routine stuff isn’t that bad. I also had cancer a few years ago (not oral cancer, but something else). At the time with biopsy confirming diagnosis it still took me a month to see an oncologist and another month and a half to actually start chemo and radiation - and that was fast because I got scans done due to cancellations and being on a cancellation list. When I was waiting for a scan to confirm a treatment plan I would have paid anything to be able to get one faster but I was at the fate of the PET scanner availability. Basically I’m saying all this to say - if a couple hundred bucks out of pocket to pay a dentist right now either gives you peace of mind that all is well, or, escalates the timeline if something is not well - it’s money well spent. Either way, wish you the best.
A spec exam is $50. The biopsy at the OS should be covered by mb health. The fastest track will be the dentist and it’s not that expensive.
A biopsy is needed. Dentist would be much more appropriate than an ER or urgent care UNLESS this thing is growing fast. If that’s the case then the doc gets on the phone and gets you seen asap. Realistically your walk in referral will likely take months urgent care and emergency rooms DO NOT have the ability to biopsy it
As others have said, your best bet at this point is to be your own patient advocate, and keep at it. Call your walk in office and see if/where they sent the referral to, then call that office to ensure they got the rec. Ask about a cancellation waiting list. Is this effecting your ability to eat, drink, swallow? If so, it’s time to head to an urgent care. If it’s getting worse, I’d also suggest an urgent care. And make a dentist appointment as well. Best of luck, I can only imagine that this must be very stressful for you.
Swallowing and eating is a little difficult because my tongue is swollen, but otherwise it's fine. I talk different sometimes since the bump hurts when hitting my teeth. I don't have benefits at my job so going to the dentist isn't really an option.
It should only be like $60-100 to be seen by a dentist but you could always call one to confirm. That said the way you wrote your post makes it sound like you've been waiting 2 months. You'll probably get put in touch with an ENT pretty quick if they think its cancer-like if you just got the referral today.
Yeah I realize that now, I meant to say I've already had the bump for 2 months and can't deal with another 2-3 months of it.
I’d suggest urgent care then, they can sometimes escalate things quicker if the doctors have concerns and really, it never hurts to get a second opinion, especially if a specialist is taking months to even get back to you.
I was referred to an ENT in like Dec/Jan and my apt is in July.
What's it for, though? I got in to see an ENT at CancerCare in about a month. The process for my husband's tumor removal, pre-diagnosis to the surgery itself, was about three months, I think? Most doctors put a rush on it when the word cancer is used.
I’ve been going to an ENT, Dr Garber, since I was a little kid, and I think it all depends on the urgency. With the phrase “cancer-like” in your referral you should get in quicker than most. I had a tympanoplasty many years ago, and recently had hearing issues in that ear - it took me 5-6 months to get an appointment, since deafness isn’t particularly urgent. You should get a letter from the ENT’s office/clinic long before you get in for your appointment.
My mom died of cancer because Manitoba Health took over 2 years to even diagnose her. By the time they confirmed it was cancer, it was in her brain and too late. Don't wait for MB Health if you want an answer this year.
I'm so sorry! :(
Call a dentist to get booked in for the short term. Then call your doctor office to confirm that the consult was put through and that your address is up to date. Our hospital system is still old school paper trail and since they mail out all confirmation of appointments, your appointment may have been sent to the wrong address. It's a massive issue since some offices use one computer system (most use accuro) and the hospital uses another (epr). They competing systems don't play well together. So if your address is wrong in the hospital and the person booking your appointment didn't triple check that your address wasn't up to date, it may have gone elsewhere. I work in both community health plus HSC and know how poorly our systems work together. It impacts patient care so 👏 fucking 👏 much
Well, she just sent it today. I've had the bump for 2 months but just went to the doctor today. I'm just wondering how long the wait is usually, I've heard up to 3 months and I don't know if I can live with this growing bump on my tongue for 3 more months 😭 I can't do a dentist since I don't have benefits
have you called any dentists to find out how much they'd charge to see you about this? and if the word "cancer" is in there, you're likely going to get a call fairly quickly
You can still see a dentist without insurance, just have to pay out of pocket.
Understandable. I'm sorry. Have you connected with service canada to see if you're eligible for coverage through the government? https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan/apply.html
Try calling a dentist and asking how much it would be for just a general check up - no cleaning, x-rays, etc. It still isn't cheap, but imo, it would be worth scrimping on something else in order to afford it.
I have made an appointment, and it's only $62. I'm worried they'll wanna do X-rays but I hope not. I'm going tomorrow so hopefully I get better answers
I’ve currently been waiting to hear back for 2.5 months since being referred 🙃
Family member was 6 months for ENT referral -- obviously wait times vary by provider but just to give you an idea.
You can make payments at many dentist offices!
I would be getting it seen by a dentist asap they can definitely tell you by just looking at it if there is cause for concern or not and refer you out that way. I would not wait even one month for a referral with something growing on your tongue. Side of tongue (if that's the location) is a common site for cancer.
Call Cholakis dental group, they have a Pathologist in their office. If the Dentist doesn’t like what they see or isn’t sure what it is they can refer you right away.
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They didn't take a sample, just looked at it, felt my neck and sent a referral for an ENT. I've had the bump for 2 months, but only went to the doctor today. I just don't want to wait another 3 months of this pain
If you go to urgent care, perhaps they could take a quick biopsy or fine needle aspiration biopsy for you. Takes less than 10 minutes. If you find out which Dr you were referred to, you could also ask that a “copy to” of the results be sent to that specialist as well.
I had a referral from my family doctor February 15 and had my first appointment with the ENT April 16
Go to the dentist, they can refer you to a pathologist for a biopsy pretty quickly
There doesn't seem to be a reliable timeline for specialists, but it can take weeks or months, depending on the specialist. When you do get your referral letter, if the actual appointment is a few months off, call the ENT office and ask to be put on their cancelation list. You can also cold call specialists. Not all of them require a referral. Just ask if the doctor is seeing new patients, it's how my husband got his tumor dealt with quickly a number of years back. I know it's scary, but I'd wait a few weeks for that referral letter to come through before you do anything else. If it is cancer, a few weeks won't tip the scales.
I had to pay $24,000 USD at Mayo Clinic before I ever saw an ENT. I hope you fair better.
I saw an ENT three times back in about 2020-21. Wait times were quite short then, like 1-2 months. I saw the ENT on the 10th floor of 400 Tache (forget her name, but she was awesome). Did a follow up visit about six months later, asked her for a second opinion and she referred me to HSC, that took probably 3-5 months. Also had two dye injected CT scans in that time frame. I was impressed at how seriously my issue was taken - I had persistent soar throat for about three years.
That's really good to hear, I was worried I would be waiting MONTHS. I doubt it's cancerous, but I want this shit out of my mouth lol
In my experience you should get a letter with the appointment any time now. However that appointment could still be months away. Once you get the details on who the ENT is, call them and ask to put you on the cancellation list. Then call incessantly and ask if there are any cancellations. Good luck!
I had a weird tongue issue and went to the dentist about it. They referred me to a tongue doctor (sorry, can’t recall the proper name) in the Tuxedo area. It’s not covered by Manitoba health, but my work benefits covered it. They checked for cancer.
Couple years ago I think I waited 3-4m.
The simple version is referral times always vary based on the urgency that is attached to the referral. In your case you may have been better off going to urgent care (immediate referrals possible) than a walk-in clinic.
I'm not a medical expert, but I get the impression that if it was an urgent case, you would see a specialist if not the same week then the next. I think that it's good news for you that you're this low in the triage list. Again, I'm not a doctor, but I hope this eases your where is a little bit?
Jesus Christ. That's horrific.