Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer has the same meaning asoral cancer - it is cancer that occurs in any part of the mouth; on the tongue's surface, in the lips, inside the cheek, in the gums, in the roof and floor of the mouth, in the tonsils, and also the salivary glands. 

Mouth cancer is a type of head and neck cancer, and is often treated similarly to other head and neck cancers. 

34,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer each year, and about 8,000 die (annually). In England and Wales about 2,700 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed annually. Oral cancer kills approximately 920 people each year in England and Wales. Most oral cancer cases occur when the patient is at least 40 years old. It affects more men than women.

What are the signs and symptoms of oral cancer?

Most patients have no detectable symptoms during the early stages of oral cancer. Smokers, heavy drinkers should have regular checkups at the dentists' - dentists are often able to identify signs of oral cancer. 

When signs and symptoms do appear, the typically include:

• Patches on the lining of the mouth or tongue, usually red or red and white in color.
• Mouth ulcers that do not go away.
• A sore that does not heal.
• A swelling in the mouth that persists for over three weeks.
• A lump or thickening of the skin or lining of the mouth.
• Pain when swallowing.
• Loosening teeth (tooth) for no clear reason.
• Dentures don't fit properly.
• Jaw pain.
• Jaw stiffness.
Sore Throad

• A sensation that something is stuck in your throat.
• Painful tongue.
• A hoarse voice.
• Pain in the neck that does not go away.

If you have some of these symptoms you should see our doctor. There are many other conditions and diseases with similar symptoms.

What are the risk factors for mouth cancer?

A risk factor is anything that increases that likelihood of developing a disease or condition. For example, regular smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer; therefore smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer The risk factors for mouth cancer include:

• Smoking - studies indicate that a 40-per-day smoker has a risk five times great than a lifetime non-smoker of developing oral cancer.


• Chewing tobacco.


• Taking snuff (snorting tobacco).


• Both heavy and regular alcohol consumption - somebody who consumes an average of 30 pints of beer per week has a risk five times greater than a teetotaler or somebody who drinks moderately.


• Heavy smoking combined with heavy drinking - as tobacco and alcohol have a synergistic effect (their combined effect is greater than each one added together separately), people who drink and also smoke a lot have a significantly higher risk of developing oral cancer compared to others. Somebody who smokes 40 cigarettes per day AND consumes an average of 30 pints of beer a week is 38 times more likely to develop oral cancer compared to other people.
• Too much sun exposure on the lips, as well as sunlamps or sunbeds.


• Diet - people who consume lots of red meat, processed meat and fried foods are more likely to develop oral cancer than others.


• GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) - people with this digestive condition where acid from the stomach leaks back up through the gullet (esophagus) have a higher risk of oral cancer.


• HPV (human papillomavirus) infection.


• Prior radiation treatment (radiotherapy) in the head and/or neck area.


• Regularly chewing betel nuts - these nuts, from the betel palm tree, are popular in some parts of south east Asia. They are slightly addictive and are also carcinogenic.


• Exposure to certain chemicals - especially asbestos, sulphuric acid and formaldehyde.

CAUSES OF MOUTH CANCER:

The exact reasons why you may develop mouth cancer aren't fully understood at present. However, you may be more likely to develop mouth cancer if you:

• smoke any form of tobacco – cigarettes, cigars and pipes, as well as bidis or hand-rolled cigarettes that contain cannabis
• chew tobacco, such as betel quid, gutkha and paan
• drink excessive alcohol, especially at the same time as smoking or chewing tobacco
• have already had certain types of cancer, such as skin cancer
• regularly expose yourself to the sun or ultraviolet (UV) light as this increases the risk of lip cancer

have a weakened immune system – people who have HIV/AIDS, or who are taking medicines that suppress the immune system, are more likely to develop mouth cancer

How is Mouth Cancer Diagonsed And Treated:

When dentists or doctors find a suspicious-looking area in the mouth, they may order a biopsy. During this procedure, a surgeon removes part or all of the suspect tissue. Examination under a microscope will determine whether cancer cells are present. Once oral cancer is diagnosed, doctors then need to find out whether the cancer has spread.

The first course of treatment is to remove the tumor and any cancerous tissue in the mouth. If there is evidence that the cancer has spread, the surgeon may also remove lymph nodes in the neck as well as part or all of the tongue, cheek, or jaw.

Doctors may also order radiation therapy, either before the surgery to shrink the tumors, or afterward to destroy any remaining cancer cells. In some cases, surgeons may place tiny "seeds" containing radioactive material directly into or near the tumor. Generally, this implant is left in place for several days, and the patient will stay in the hospital.

Chemotherapy is another possible treatment for mouth cancer, especially when it has spread beyond the mouth. It involves taking anti-cancer drugs by injection or in pill form.

Life after Mouth Cancer

People who are treated for large or widely spread mouth tumors often experience permanent changes that are challenging to deal with, both emotionally and physically. If they lose part of their jaw, tongue, cheek, or palate (the roof of the mouth), they will need reconstructive and plastic surgery. If surgery is not possible, they may need to use an artificial dental or facial part called a prosthesis. In either case, their appearance will be changed permanently.

These people also are likely to have some difficulty chewing and swallowing, and they may lose their sense of taste. For these reasons, weight loss can present a real problem after treatment for mouth cancer.

A Major League Fight
against Spit Tobacco

For many years, baseball great Joe Garagiola waged a one-man battle against the prevalent use of spit tobacco, also called chewing tobacco, snuff, or chew, by major league baseball players. Himself a former user, Garagiola was concerned both about the players' health and about the effect their behavior was having on young fans. He wanted to convey the message that just because spit tobacco is smokeless does not mean it is safe. To the contrary, it is a major cause of mouth cancer.
In 1996, Garagiola collaborated with a group called Oral Health America to found the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP) and get other players involved with the cause. Bill Tuttle, who started using spit tobacco as an outfielder in the 1950s and 1960s, gave talks based on his own experiences with mouth cancer. NSTEP recruited players Lenny Dykstra, Mike Piazza, Tino Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, and Paul Molitorto do anti-tobacco spots that were broadcast during games.

^* The lymphatic system (lim-FAT-ik system) is a network of vessels, organs, and tissues that produce, store, and carry infection-fighting white blood cells in a colorless, watery fluid called lymph.

Many patients have trouble speaking after losing part of their mouth or tongue. Speech therapists will work with them both during and after their hospital stay to help them get back to speaking as normally as possible.

How Is Mouth Cancer Prevented?

People can prevent mouth cancer by not using spit tobacco or smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, or quitting if they already do. If they drink alcohol, they should not have more than one or two drinks per day.

Mouth Cancer
and Tobacco

Oral Health America, which runs the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, has compiled these statistics about spit tobacco use, which has increased over the past three decades.

• One out of three adolescents in the United States is using some form of tobacco by age 18.
• Spit tobacco use by adolescents is associated with early indicators of gum disease and unusual lesions in the mouth tissue.
• Each year, 10 to 16 million Americans use smokeless or spit tobacco products. Annual sales of these products in 1998 exceeded $1 billion, or more than triple that of 1972.
• Young men ages 17 to 19 are the most frequent users of spit tobacco. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 1 million adolescent boys use spit tobacco.
• The risk of developing oral cancer for long-term spit tobacco users is 50 times greater than for non-users.