Tell-Tale Signs of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can be treated if the disease is detected early, but most people tend to ignore the symptoms because they associate it with other mouth illnesses. What should you look for to determine if there is a mouth problem, cancer or benign, that needs to be addressed?

Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Oral cancer can affect one or many parts of the mouth or oral cavity such as the lips, lip and cheeks tissues, gums, the front two-thirds of the tongue, floor or the area under the tongue, and the roof of the mouth.

Most of the cases of oral cancer begin on the squamous cells, or the cells that cover the surfaces of the lips and tongue. So how does oral cancer start? One of the tell-tale signs of squamous cancer cells is a patch that looks red (erythroplakia), white (leukoplakia or keratosis) or a combination of both (erythroleukoplakia). You will not feel any pain, but some could feel velvety when probed, and there could also be lesions, too. If this patch doesn’t disappear after 2 weeks, you need to visit a doctor.

Sores, which can be found on any part of the oral cavity, should be painful to be considered normal (or a canker sore). If you notice any lump or sore, but there is no pain, you need to have it looked at. Some of the lesions aren’t noticeable, that is why you need to examine your mouth in front of a mirror at least once a month.

Some symptoms, however, are more noticeable, such as; a persistent sore/crust, lump in the cheek, thickening in the cheek, swellings, pain and tenderness, numbness, difficulty moving the tongue or jaw, difficulty chewing or swallowing, loose teeth, recurrent sore throat and hoarseness, feeling of a lump stuck in the throat, a lump in the neck, persistent bad breath, and pain in the ears without hearing loss.

Screening of Oral Cancer
Your dentist will usually examine your oral cavity for problems during routine check-ups, that is why you should visit at least twice a year (every 6 months) to address oral health issues besides cancer. Even if you don’t need any cleaning or extraction, you should still visit your dentist, especially if you’re at risk of developing oral diseases.

So, what puts a person at risk? Lifestyle is a factor in the development of oral cancer such as smoking and alcohol abuse, prolonged exposure to sunlight (remember that your lips are part of your mouth), acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases like human papillomavirus, acquiring severe lichen planus, and an unhealthy diet among people older than 40 years.

If your dentist suspects that you have cancer, a biopsy is usually recommended after a closer physical examination of the mouth and face. Treatment is determined by the progress of the disease and the location of the cancer. Common treatments include surgery (removal of the cancer and affected tissues or to ease symptoms if the cancer is advanced), radiotherapy (either brachytherapy or external beam radiotherapy), photodynamic therapy, and chemotherapy.