|
Oral Cancer
This condition usually occurs in people over age 45 but can develop at any age. Men are affected twice as often as women. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is widely agreed that smoking and other tobacco use puts people at high risk for oral cancer. Smoke and heat from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes irritates the mucous membranes of the mouth. Chewing tobacco and snuff also irritates the mucous membranes. While drinking alcohol is another high-risk habit associated with oral cancer, other potential risks include poor dental and oral hygiene and long-term irritation caused by dentures, rough teeth, and fillings.
While oral cancer often begins as mouth ulcers, it usually involves the tissue of the lips or tongue. It may also occur on the floor or roof of the mouth, or in the salivary glands, cheek lining, or gums. Most oral cancers are squamous cell ("scale-like" cell type) carcinomas, which are malignant and tend to spread quickly.
According to the National Cancer Institute, oral cancer's most common symptoms include:
- A lip sore or mouth sore that never heals
- A lump on the lip or in the mouth or throat
- A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
- Unusual bleeding, pain, or numbness in the mouth
- A prolonged sore throat; the sensation that something is stuck in the throat
- Difficulty or pain with chewing or swallowing
- Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable
- Changes in the voice
- Pain in the ear
While these symptoms can be caused by cancer, they can also be attributed to other, less serious problems. You should see a dentist or doctor if you are experiencing any of these, so that the cause can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Annual check-ups that include an examination of the entire mouth can detect pre-cancerous conditions or the formative phases of oral cancer. When you go in for a check-up, tell your dentist that you would like an examination of your mouth tissues.
If an exceptional area is found in the oral cavity, a biopsy must be performed to detect whether it is cancerous. You will be referred to an oral surgeon or an ear, nose, and throat surgeon. This doctor will remove part or all of the lump or abnormal-looking area. A pathologist will study the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Should the pathologist find oral cancer, your doctor will need to know the stage, or extent, of the disease in order to plan the optimal treatment. This is determined through dental X-rays, X-rays of the head, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is a procedure in which pictures are created using a magnet linked to a computer. Your doctor will also check lymph nodes in the neck for swelling or other developments.
It is a good idea to obtain a second opinion from a specialist who treats oral cancer. You can get the names of such specialists from your local medical or dental society, a nearby hospital, or a medical or dental school.
Before being treated for oral cancer, it is essential that you have a complete dental exam. Because cancer may make the mouth ultra-sensitive and vulnerable to infection, doctors often suggest that patients have dental work done before oral cancer treatment starts.
Treatment for this illness depends on the type of the tumor present and the stage of the disease. Your age and overall health are also factors in treatment. While surgery and radiation therapy are common treatments for oral cancer, so is chemotherapy.
Patients with oral cancer are often treated by a team of specialists, which may include an oral surgeon, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a prosthodontist, a general dentist, a plastic surgeon, a dietitian, a social worker, a nurse, and a speech therapist.
back to Sweeten Breath
back to Intro
|
