Oral Cancer Explained

Most people have friends or family who have had to deal with the disease cancer in some area of the body. Cancer can be described as uncontrollable cell growth that invades and damages surrounding tissue. Oral cancer often shows up as a persistent sore or growth in the mouth, but also includes cancers of the tongue, lips, cheeks, palate, throat, and sinuses. Like most cancers, it can be life threatening without early detection and treatment.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of oral cancer include:

• Swelling, lumps, or rough spots on your lips, gums, or other mouth areas
• White or red patches in your mouth
• Numbness or tenderness in your mouth, neck, or face
• Unexplained bleeding in your mouth
• Sore throat or feeling that something is stuck in your throat
• Persistent sores in the mouth, neck or face that bleed easily and do not heal in two weeks
• Hoarseness or chronic sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing, chewing, talking, or moving your jaw or tongue
• Earache
• Substantial weight loss

Risk factors
Men are at twice as high risk for oral cancer than women, and men over 50 are at greatest risk. The biggest risk factors include any kind of smoking or using smokeless tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure, or family history of cancer. However, it’s important to know that more than 25 percent of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke or only drink alcohol occasionally.

Diagnosis
Routine dental checkups include an examination for signs of oral cancer. A biopsy may be performed on any suspicious areas. Regular checkups are important so that tests can identify oral cancer early, before it can spread or progress.

Treatment
Oral cancer is often treated similarly to other types of cancers. It may include surgery to remove the growth, followed by radiation or chemotherapy to destroy remaining cancer cells.

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