Oral Cancer
Chronic mouth pain or the presence of sores, bumps or other lesions, difficulty swallowing, soreness in the neck or throat, bleeding in the mouth and numbness are all possible symptoms of oral cancer.
But they may not necessarily indicate cancer and instead could be related to some other dental condition. Either way, early diagnosis is imperative to ensuring a full recovery and that makes regular dental checks important to any preventative health regimen.
Cancer is said to affect nearly 30,000 people each year – 7,000 fatally. While those numbers may not carry the significance of some other forms of cancer, people are being impacted and others should be vigilante in minding their own mouths for possible problems since early treatments are normally successful.
Diagnosis of oral cancer typically begins at the dentist’s office during an examination or in response to a visit related to a painful condition that exhibits one or more of the above symptoms. The dentist will refer the patient to an oncologist if cancer is suspected and diagnostic procedures may include X-rays, ultrasounds, CT or MRI scans to not only confirm the existence of oral cancer but determine where it may have traveled in the body.
Once cancer is identified, a treatment plan must be devised that will target the specific cancer in an appropriate manner considering any other medical conditions or situations present. Oral cancer treatment will take the form of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In some cases surgery may be an initial approach that is backed up by chemotherapy or radiation therapy to make sure that all of the cancer cells have been destroyed.
Surgery usually involves removal of tumors inside the mouth and in the neck. But other parts of the body could be affected and require surgery or other treatments in late-discovery cases where the disease has been able to spread. Chemotherapy is a highly effective treatment that is administered intravenously or through orally consumed pills. Radiation therapy offers a similar treatment outcome but is conducted with X-rays. Some cases could require the use of a combination of these treatments in order to successfully contain and destroy oral cancer.
In some cases, including surgery and other extensive cancer treatments, reconstructive cosmetic surgery may be necessary in order for patients to recover full range of movement and ability to function as they did previously. Some, however, may only be able to recover their vocal abilities only after extensive therapy or mechanical vocal devices.
As with any form of cancer, prevention is imperative to maintaining oral health and vitality. Periodic self-examinations of the mouth, tongue and gums are key efforts to discovering cancer – or potential cancer indicators or causal factors. To perform a thorough examination, check all teeth, gums, top and bottom of the tongue, roof of the mouth, inside the cheeks and under the skin of the throat. Turn lips upward and downward to scrutinize tissue surfaces. Sores and painful areas in the mouth should be examined by a dentist or doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis is made and an appropriate treatment plan devised should it be a case of oral cancer.