What Are The Signs of Oral Cancer?
The signs of oral cancer are not always visible, but you should watch out for them. Here’s what to look for.
1) Symptoms of Oral Cancer in Men:-
Pain or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips; is a very common symptom.
A lump, thickening, red patch, or white area inside the mouth; can appear on any part of the gums, tongue, lips, and lining of your cheeks and throat.
Difficulty chewing food because of receding gums.
Loosening or loss of teeth because of damaged roots that may be caused by pressure from tumors.
An ulcer that does not heal within 2-3 weeks; an ulcer that is bright red or white, surrounded by swollen, inflamed skin.
2) Symptoms of Oral Cancer in Women:
A change in the shape of the tongue; one side may look larger than the other.
A whitish or red patch on the inside of the cheek.
Swollen lymph nodes under your jaw that are painful when touched. If this happens during cancer treatment, it’s probably a reaction to the treatment and not cancer spreading.
3) General Signs of Oral Cancer:
Sores that won’t heal; sores with unusual appearance such as round marks (or ulcers), lumpy patches, or spots that bleed easily or do not heal within 3 weeks; or white or red patches on your gums or in your mouth.
Pain or other symptoms that seem to get worse.
Headaches, earaches, and toothaches; if they occur only on one side of your head and last for several days.
Changes in the way you speak (such as hoarseness), trouble swallowing, or changes in taste.
4) What should I do if I find a lump or other possible signs of oral cancer:
·Save any abnormal tissue so it can be examined later by your doctor under a microscope. This will help determine whether the cells are normal or have cancerous changes. This is important because some cancers look different under a microscope than they appear to the naked eye. If you cannot save this tissue, try to draw what you see so that you can show it to your doctor later.
· Report other signs of oral cancer, such as lumps or mouth sores that don’t heal within 2-3 weeks. If you have trouble with chewing or swallowing because of swollen lymph nodes under your jaw, tell your dentist or doctor.
·Tell any dental care providers (dentists and dental hygienists) who treat you about everything that bothers you while they are working in your mouth. This could include pain, bleeding, swelling, or lumps. Be sure to tell them if these conditions get worse after treatment is over.
5) What else could the problem be instead of oral cancer?
Some types of cancer in the mouth look very much like oral cancers. But, these other disorders can be treated differently and may not need surgery. Your doctor may want to examine you or take a biopsy of any suspicious growths just to be sure that they aren’t one of these other problems instead.
·Cancer from exposure to sunlight or tobacco products, which usually affects people who have been smoking for many years. Mouth sores from sun exposure may bleed easily because your lips do not have a lot of blood vessels. This type of cancer is more common among men than women and grows slowly over several years before symptoms appear.
·Squamous cell carcinoma:-This type of cancer forms in thin cells called squamous cells. These cells cover the lining of the mouth and parts in and around it.
· Dysplasia: This is a non-cancerous (benign) condition in which changes occur in cells before they become cancerous. Symptoms may look like oral cancer early on, but dysplasias can often be treated by such simple means as brushing with an antiseptic mouthwash or taking antibiotics for a brief time.
Other possible causes of sores or swellings inside your mouth, such as herpes infection or Behçet’s disease, are described below.
6) What should I do if the lesion goes away?
If a suspicious area seems to get smaller after a week or two, you may not have oral cancer. However, you should still go back to your doctor for a checkup. If the lesion is caused by a condition other than cancer, this will help ensure that it does not come back as cancer later.
gum cancer symptoms:
Firstly we would like to discuss gum cancer symptoms and how it affects the human body. Gum Cancer is a deadly type of mouth cancer that affects the gums and bones in the mouth. There are two types of gum cancer symptoms such as:
1) Early gum cancers symptoms (This form mostly involves non-discomforting symptoms; however, there may be swelling or bleeding from the affected area).
2) Advanced gum cancers symptoms (This form mostly involves severe discomforting symptoms: pain, ulcers, or foul-smelling swellings).
It’s important to get yourself examined by your dentist if you experience any of these discomforts; you may require further examination with a head and neck surgeon. The best way to prevent gum cancer is to maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice daily and also see your dentist regularly for checkups, this will help prevent the onset of gum cancer in the future.
what is oral cancer:
Now we will discuss oral cancer symptoms and how it affects the human body? Oral Cancer is a deadly type of mouth cancer that affects the lips, gums, salivary glands, tongue, or any other parts of the mouth. There are three types of oral cancers such as:
1) Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck:
This form of head and neck cancer is the most widespread of all forms affecting approximately 90% of cases, commonly found in the lining tissues inside of your mouth or at a back region near the spinal cord.
This form mostly involves painless swelling from an affected area. It’s important to consult your dentist if you encounter any discomforts; you may require further examination with an onc (cancer expert). The best way to prevent oral cancer is to maintain good oral hygiene and also see your dentist regularly for checkups so that any signs of cancer are earlier.
2) Tongue Cancer:
This form of head and neck cancer is commonly found on the tongue affecting approximately 10% of cases, which mostly involves painless swelling from an affected area. It’s important to consult your dentist if you encounter any discomforts; you may require further examination with an onc (cancer expert). The best way to prevent tongue cancers is to maintain good oral hygiene and also see your dentist regularly for checkups so that any signs of cancer are earlier.
3) Oral Cavity Carcinoma:-
This form of head and neck cancer is least widespread affecting approximately 1-2% of cases, which mostly involves painless swelling from an affected area. It’s important to consult your dentist if you encounter any discomforts; you may require further examination with an onc (cancer expert). The best way to prevent oral cavity cancers is to maintain good oral hygiene and also see your dentist regularly for checkups so that any signs of cancer are earlier.
oral cancer treatment:
Now we will discuss Oral Cancer Treatment & How it affects the human body? However, there are two main types of treatment available for head and neck cancers such as 1) Primary Treatment (Surgery):- This form of surgery is more frequently required by patients who have early or advanced forms of head and neck cancers or tongue cancer.
There are three types of surgeries such as
a) Mohs Surgery:
This form of surgery is more frequently required by patients who have early or advanced forms of head and neck cancers or tongue cancer. In this type of surgery, the surgeons remove a layer of skin samples that are later examined under a microscope to see if there are any remnants left from the tumor.
b) Wide Local Excision:
In this type of surgery, the doctors cut out only the tumor or affected area in order to minimize damage or disfigurement to healthy tissues; this form is mostly required for advanced stages when the tumor has already spread onto other areas.
c) Deep Excision:
This procedure may be recommended when there are extensive recurrence cells in an affected area; it involves removal deep in the tissues underneath the affected area.
d) Neck Dissection:
This procedure is required in case of extensive removal of glands and tissues inside your neck to prevent the spread of cancer cells.
e) Laryngectomy:
Also known as larynx or voice box, this form of surgery is recommended when there’s the complete removal of the larynx due to extended areas that are involved with cancerous growths either on the vocal cords or anywhere else inside the vicinity.
f) Tracheotomy:
This type of surgery involves creating an opening in front of your neck beneath your Adam’s apple so that you can breathe through another tube outside your windpipe (trachea). It may be required if the jaw or throat has been damaged by disease or surgery.
2) Radiation Therapy:
This form of treatment is mostly recommended for patients that are suffering from advanced stages with extensive growths or tumors, where chemotherapy has failed to produce desired results. There are two types of radiation therapy
a) External Beam Radiation Therapy:
Also known as external beam radiotherapy, this form of treatment is most commonly used in treating head and neck cancers caused by carcinogens such as alcohol or smoking.
b) Internal Beam Radiotherapy:
This procedure involves placing radioactive seeds/pellets inside your body near the affected area(s). It’s also known as brachytherapy which works by releasing high doses of radiation over short periods of time into specific tissues. However, it may not be suitable for all patients where the risk of cancer may increase.