A
cancerous (malignant) tumor starts from one abnormal cell. The exact
reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Some people develop
mouth cancer for no apparent reason. However, certain risk factors
increase the chance that mouth cancer may develop. These include:
- Smoking - Mouth cancer is just one cancer which has a much higher incidence in smokers than in non-smokers.
- Alcohol - Drinking a lot of alcohol can increase your risk of developing mouth cancer.
- Chewing tobacco or the betel leaf.
- Poor dental hygiene.
Symptoms:
The most common symptoms of mouth cancer are a sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal and pain in the mouth that does not go away. In many cases, changes are seen in the mouth before the cancer develops. This means that early treatment of these changes may prevent progression. Other symptoms include:
The most common symptoms of mouth cancer are a sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal and pain in the mouth that does not go away. In many cases, changes are seen in the mouth before the cancer develops. This means that early treatment of these changes may prevent progression. Other symptoms include:
- White patches anywhere in your mouth
- Red patches anywhere in your mouth
- A lump on the lip, tongue or in the mouth or throat
- Unusual bleeding or numbness in the mouth.
- Pain when chewing or swallowing
- A feeling that something is caught in the throat
- A change in your voice, or speech problems.
- A lump in the neck.
Diagnosis:
To confirm diagnosis, a patient needs a biopsy. A small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the patient’s body and is looked under the microscope to look for abnormal cells. If the doctors have confirmed mouth cancer, further tests are done such as, CT scan or MRI scan to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. These tests reveal how much the tumor has grown in mouth and whether cancer has spread to local nymph nodes or to other areas of body.
Treatment:
Treatment options which may be considered include radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. The treatment advised for each case usually depends on various factors such as the exact site and extent of the cancer and your general health. In many cases, treatment aims to cure the cancer. There is a good chance of a cure if it is treated in the early stages. Many cases are diagnosed at an early stage. This is because early mouth cancers are more easily detected than cancers deeper inside the body. In some cases, treatment aims to control the cancer. If a cure is not realistic, with treatment it is often possible to limit the growth or spread of the cancer so that it progresses less rapidly.
The most common treatment is surgery. The type of operation depends on the size of the cancer and its site. The operation may be to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding normal tissue. Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high-energy beams of radiation which are focused on malignant (cancerous) tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. Chemotherapy is a treatment which uses anti-cancer medicines to kill cancer cells, or to stop them from multiplying.
It is important to have regular dental checkups to screen for oral cancer.
To confirm diagnosis, a patient needs a biopsy. A small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the patient’s body and is looked under the microscope to look for abnormal cells. If the doctors have confirmed mouth cancer, further tests are done such as, CT scan or MRI scan to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. These tests reveal how much the tumor has grown in mouth and whether cancer has spread to local nymph nodes or to other areas of body.
Treatment:
Treatment options which may be considered include radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. The treatment advised for each case usually depends on various factors such as the exact site and extent of the cancer and your general health. In many cases, treatment aims to cure the cancer. There is a good chance of a cure if it is treated in the early stages. Many cases are diagnosed at an early stage. This is because early mouth cancers are more easily detected than cancers deeper inside the body. In some cases, treatment aims to control the cancer. If a cure is not realistic, with treatment it is often possible to limit the growth or spread of the cancer so that it progresses less rapidly.
The most common treatment is surgery. The type of operation depends on the size of the cancer and its site. The operation may be to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding normal tissue. Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high-energy beams of radiation which are focused on malignant (cancerous) tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. Chemotherapy is a treatment which uses anti-cancer medicines to kill cancer cells, or to stop them from multiplying.
It is important to have regular dental checkups to screen for oral cancer.
Thanks for taking the time to share this informative information on mouth cancer and what to look for. You provided tons of details relating to this topic. Have a great rest of your day and keep up the posts.
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