Should I Be Worried About A Lump In Jaw Line After Having Surgery On Same Side For Removal Of Cancer?

Posted on Mon, 16 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 Answered on

Mon, 6 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi,my father has a lump under left jaw line that moves back to front and sometimes down, tender to touch. He takes numerous medications and has recently had surgery to left side of mouth removing cancer

Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Please, how long did he get surgery? Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for this query. I am so sorry to hear about what your Dad is going through. It is be extremely difficult for you to watch him go through all this. Please, take heart and be supportive as much as you can during this time. From the information you have provided, a swollen and tender mass often represents an infection like an abscess. This could be more likely if surgery just took place within them past couple of weeks. However, because of the previous cancer history, this could be a recurrence of the previous cancerous lesion. In any case, he would need a consultation and assessment for this mass by his treating doctor. I hope you find this helpful. I wish him well. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to request for more information if needed. Dr. Ditah, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar