Oral Cancer Detection and Treatment Guide

Oral Cancer – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

CLINICAL CONTENT WRITTEN & REVIEWED BY CLOVE CLINICAL TEAM

Last Modified: January 24, 2024

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Oral cancer is one such dangerous and potentially life-threatening disease that takes into its ambit not just the interior of the mouth but also the lips, tongue, cheek, and even throat. Essentially, the two important features considered possible effective treatment options are early detection and awareness. This blog will look at some symptoms, causes, and available treatment options for oral cancer.

Symptoms of Oral Cancer

1. Persistent Sores and Ulcers: The most common manifestations of oral cancer are sores or ulcers that stick around longer than expected, more than the normally anticipated period it takes to heal.
2. Changes in Colour: The most unwanted changes in color in the tissues of the mouth-patches of red or white-must be kept under close vigil.
3. Difficulty Swallowing or Chewing: Difficulty in swallowing or chewing can always bother oral cancer, coupled with the feeling of something stuck in the throat.
4. Chronic Sore Throat: A sore throat which does not go even without normal sore throat medications, may further lead to more serious concerns than the usual infection, and oral cancer can be one of them.
5. Pain or Discomfort: Spontaneous pain or discomfort of the mouth, face, or neck that should be investigated by the practitioner.

Causes of Oral Cancer

1. Tobacco use signifies smoking and using smokeless tobacco products, which highly rise the risk of getting oral cancer. A second major risk factor for oral cancer is heavy and long consumption of alcohol.
2. Human Papilloma Virus-HPV: Confirmations have been made that some types of HPV are linked to high risks of developing oral cancer.
3. Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Certain strains of HPV have been linked to an increased risk of
developing oral cancer.
4. Sun: Even staying in the sun without protection for a very long time may cause lip cancer.
5. Poor Oral Hygiene: Habitual irritation to the oral tissues due to poor oral hygiene may be one of the etiologies in oral cancer.

Treatment Options for Oral Cancer

1. Surgery: This is usually the treatment option in the case of oral cancer. It becomes mandatory to remove partial or whole structure that is involved.
2. Radiation Therapy: High-energy rays target the cancerous cells and destroy them. These are often in addition to other modes of treatment, such as surgery, or alone.
3. Chemotherapy: This involves medication that kills the cancerous cells or completely stops the growth of cancer. Treatments can be by mouth or intravenous.
4. Targeted Therapy: It is a treatment usually directed towards specific molecules that participate in growth and development of a cancer. It tends to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells by targeting those types of molecules.
5. Immunotherapy: This is a new route of treatment that works by enhancing the body’s immune system in fighting cancer and hence promising for some instances of oral cancer.

Conclusion:

It is the early diagnosis and timely intervention which hold the key to an improvement in prognosis of oral cancers. Regular dental check-up, modification of lifestyle, and avoidance of known risk factors will go a long way in prevention of onset of oral cancer. In cases of suspicious symptoms, one should never delay in seeking medical evaluation for timely diagnosis and management.