Oral cancer (commonly called mouth cancer) is a sub-type of head and neck cancer, and is formed in the tissues of oral cavity. It can originate in any of the tissues of the mouth.
Symptoms
The signs of mouth cancer are:
Often the exact cause of oral cancer is not known. But there are many risk factors such as:
a) Surgery which includes
c) Surgical flaps, for example radial foream flap
d) Oral prosthesis
e) Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy or a combination of both
f) Biological agents such as Cetuximab
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Symptoms
The signs of mouth cancer are:
- Skin lesion, lump, or ulcer:
- On the lip, tongue or other mouth areas
- Most often pale colored, may be dark or discolored
- often smaller in volume
- Usually painless in its initial level
- Early sign may be a white patch (leukoplakia) or a red patch (erythroplakia) on the soft tissues of the mouth
- May develop a burning sensation or pain when the tumor is advanced
- Pain and paraesthesia in later stage.
- Swallowing difficulty especially hard foods. Liquid or pasty foods cause little disturbance
- Tongue problems
- Mouth sores that do not disappear in two weeks
Often the exact cause of oral cancer is not known. But there are many risk factors such as:
- Chewing betel, paan and Areca
- Tobacco smoking with cigarettes and cigars
- Excessive alcohol intake
- HPV, human papillomavirus, particularly type 16. The total types discovered so far, are more than 120.
Treatment options
These methods are used to treat mouth cancer:a) Surgery which includes
- Glossectomy (tongue removal, which can be partial, hemi or total)
- Radical neck dissection
- Maxillectomy (can be done with or without Orbital exenteration)
- Moh's procedure or CCPDMA
- Mandibulectomy (removal of the mandible or lower jaw or part of it)
- Feeding tube to feed the patient
- Combinational treatment such as, laryngectomy and glossectomy given together.
c) Surgical flaps, for example radial foream flap
d) Oral prosthesis
e) Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy or a combination of both
f) Biological agents such as Cetuximab
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