The Oral Cavity or the inside of your mouth which begins with the lips and ends in front of the tonsils is the part of your body where oral cancer can occur. This can include the lips, tongue cheek, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate (the roof of the mouth) and sinuses. Cancer can be defined as an uncontrollable growth of cells that invade the tissue and cause the damage. It is reported that only five percent of cancer occur around the neck and head area however thirty percent of those cancers are within the oral cavity. Early diagnoses can improve the outlook of successful treatment. While in the dentist office ask the dentist to perform an oral exam.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer include:
1. Swelling or thickening of you gums, lumps or bumps, rough spots, crust in areas around or on the lips, gums, or other areas within the oral cavity (inside the mouth)
2. The development of velvety white, red, or speckled (white and red) patches in the mouth
3. Bleeding in the mouth where is no explanation for it
4. Loss of feeling or numbness around you face, mouth and your neck
5. Tenderness or pain around the mouth, face or neck
6. Sores that are persistent on the face , neck, or mouth they do not heal (within 10-14 days) and have the tendency to bleed easily
7. A feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat in combination with soreness
8. Difficulty of, speaking, chewing and swallowing
9. Moving of the tongue and the jaw
10. Chronic sore throat, changes within your voice
11. Pain in the ear and surrounding tissues
12. Drastic weight loss
If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, contact your dentist immediately for a professional examination.
Risk factors for the Development of Oral Cancer Include:
1. Smoking of cigarettes, cigars or pipe smoking contribute to develop oral cancer. It is hypothesized that smokers are six times more prone to develop oral cancer this include the use of other tobacco products such as chewing tobacco snuff tobacco or dip tobacco. The cancer will be seen on the lips, cheeks and the gums.
2. The excessive consumption of alcohol. Like tobacco, oral cancers are about six times more common within the group of excessive drinkers than in non-drinkers.
3. The history of cancer within the family
4. Excessive sun exposure at a young age
It is important to understand that more than twenty five percent of all oral cancers can occur in people who are not susceptive to smoke at all and who drink alcohol occasionally.
The Diagnoses of Oral Cancer:
During the routine part of a comprehensive dental examination your dentist may conduct also a oral cancer screening exam. Which means that the dentist through tough will feel for any lumps around your neck, head and the face. Within the same areas the dentist is looking for any irregular tissue changes. This is followed by examining your mouth (oral cavity), for any sores or discolored tissue.
If any suspicious looking tissue during the exam is detected a painless oral brush biopsy will be performed, this is done by taking a small sample of tissue in order to analyze this tissue for abnormal cells.
Tissue that looks abnormal or more suspicious a scalpel biopsy will be preformed. This can be done by your dentist or by an referred specialist which requires local anesthesia. For the early detection these test are necessary to prevent the cancer from progressing and spreading.
The Treatment of Oral Cancer:
Any kind of cancer creates a great deal of stress for you the patient. Not only because of the cancer itself but also the pain associated with the cancer around the head, neck and tongue.
Modern medicine of oral cancer treatment increases the chance for eliminating the cancer all together and restoring the individual patients good health and state of mind.
The first treatment option utilized is usually a drug therapy which involves chemotherapy. The drugs are introduced into you body and they have the capability to travel direct to the cancer side and destroying the cancerous growth by killing the infected tissue. These days chemotherapy is far more precise then in the past however there will be always a chance that healthy tissue surrounding the cancer area will be damaged. One or more or the combination of side effects may be nausea, diarrhea and the loss of hair. Another treatment next to chemotherapy is radiation which allows killing the cancerous tissue very quick.
Radiation via targeted x-ray exposure or the insertion of wires to release the radiation at the point of the cancer is preferred by some doctors. This may be very effective however the side effects include tooth decay, dry mouth and bleeding of the gums are common with this treatment option.
Surgery is the next step to eradicate the cancer if chemotherapy or radiation did not work effectively. This is the most serious approach and does in most cases not involve only one surgery. The first surgery will remove the cancerous growth from the neck or the oral cavity. If the cancer effected the tongue, the jaw or the cheeks reconstructive surgery is necessary once the patient had time to recover and heal from the first surgery this can take month to complete the overall treatment In the early stages of cancer non invasive procedures often work but in an advanced stage surgery will be likely.
The successful treatment, of different types of cancer, depends on several key factors. The treatment is based on the development and the stage of the cancer meaning the growth. The danger is that the cancer may spread to vital organs within the area or in an advanced stage already metastasized. Physicians base their course of treatment action on the rate of development associated with the growths of the cancerous tissue.. The danger is that the cancer spreads to vital organs in the immediate area, and if the evidence indicates that the cancer has already begun to metastasize,at this point invasive surgery is necessary. Non-invasive methods work well only in the earliest stages.
What can you do to Prevent Oral Cancer?
1. Spots within the oral cavity can be very tiny and very difficult to see. Self exam conducted frequently using a bright light and a mirror, pulling your checks to view the inside of your mouth and the back gums is the right active role in preventing or detecting the early stage of oral cancer. The source for detecting oral cancer is your dentist therefore schedule regular appointments with your dentist and ask for aoral cancer screening. The American Cancer Society recommends that people over twenty should have a cancer screening every three years. For people over forty an oral cancer exam should be performed every year. The early detection can improve the successful treatment.
2. Alcohol should be used in moderation.
3. The use of tobacco products should be eliminated or at least used in moderation for your protection.
4. Eating a well balanced diet is preferred
5. The exposure to the sun should be limited as well. The use of UV-A/B protective sun lotion is recommended. Ongoing exposure can increase the risk of cancer especially on the lower lip.
