Oral Cancers (096)
Mouth Cancers • Cancer of the Mouth
The Facts (1-3,15-16)
Oral cancer is cancer of the mouth. It can occur in the lining of the mouth or in the deeper tissues such as the bone, muscle, and nerves. Cancer of the mouth lining is called a carcinoma and makes up 90% of all oral cancer. Cancer of the mouth is most common in people over 45 years of age, but it can occur in younger people.
Oral cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when caught early. Unfortunately, more people die from oral cancer than from cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, or melanoma. This is because oral cancer is often diagnosed when it is already advanced. Early diagnosis and treatment is the most effective way to treat oral cancer. Cure rates of 90% to 100% have been reported when lip cancer is diagnosed and treated in the early stages.
Causes (5-6,16)
Oral cancer is associated with several risk factors. Lifestyle factors include smoking, chewing tobacco or using snuff, drinking excessive alcohol, having unprotected sun exposure to the lips, and chewing betel nut. This risk of oral cancer is even higher when people have more than one of these habits. The combination of both heavy smoking and alcohol abuse is estimated to increase the risk by 38 times in men and 100 times in women.
Infections of the mouth with the human papillomavirus (HPV) may also increase the risk of oral cancer. For some, oral cancer develops without any of these risks. People that have had head and neck cancer in the past may also have an increased risk of oral cancer.
Symptoms and Complications (7-9)
Oral cancers commonly affect the sides of the tongue and the floor and roof of the mouth.
The possible signs of cancer include:
- ulcer or painless sore in the mouth that does not heal within 14 days
- a lump in the mouth or neck
- difficult or painful chewing or swallowing
- thickening of the cheek
- numbness of the mouth or face
- hoarse voice that lasts a long time
- white or red patches in the mouth
- difficulty moving the jaw or tongue
- dentures that don't fit well
- loose teeth
- problems speaking
- bleeding or pain in the mouth or on the lip
- flat, hard spot on the outside of the bottom lip
- a wart-like growth in the mouth
- weight loss
It is important to have any of these changes checked by your doctor or dentist. Having these symptoms does not always mean the person has cancer, but because it could be cancerous, it is best to get it checked.
Making the Diagnosis
Most oral cancers are diagnosed by examining the signs or symptoms, including lumps, ulcers, sores, and abnormal swellings. If your doctor thinks you may have oral cancer, they will examine you and may order more tests that could include X-rays, laboratory tests, ultrasounds, scans, or a biopsy. A biopsy is a small sample of tissue that's been removed so it can be looked at under the microscope.
These tests will help confirm a diagnosis of oral cancer and determine whether the cancer has spread. Oral cancer may spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. It can also spread to the bone, liver, and lungs, but this is not very common.
Since oral cancers can be painless and have no symptoms in the beginning, it's important to have regular oral checkups by your doctor or dentist to catch oral cancer early. When oral cancer is caught early, treatment is more successful.
Treatment and Prevention (10-13)
By quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake, many oral cancers can be prevented. Staying out of the sun also decreases the risk of lip cancer.
Treatment for oral and lip cancers depends on how far the cancer has spread and on individual needs. Treatment may include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy – either separately or in combination.
Surgery is one of the main treatment options for most oral cancers. If the cancer is removed before it has spread to the lymph nodes, the cure rate is much higher. Surgery is also used to remove lymph nodes and to reconstruct areas of the mouth or face after the cancer has been removed
Radiation is used as the main treatment after surgery to help decrease the chance of the cancer recurring. It is also used to treat oral cancer, or to relieve pain for people with advanced oral cancer. The side effects will depend on the area that is receiving the radiation. Some general side effects include feeling tired, skin redness, and mouth irritation. Radiation can also cause dry mouth, which can last a long time. Since radiation can cause dental problems, any existing dental problems are always treated and given enough time to properly heal before radiation therapy is underway.
Chemotherapy is used for cancers that have spread. It may also be combined with radiation therapy to improve its effectiveness when surgery is not an option. Immunotherapy, which uses a person’s immune system to help fight cancer, is also being used to treat oral cancer that has recurred or has spread to other parts of the body. Targeted therapy, which uses drugs that target specific molecules within cancer cells to eliminate them, may be used to treat advanced oral cancers, oral cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, or when other treatments have failed.
[references]
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer. http://info.cancer.ca/E/CCE/cceexplorer.asp?tocid=34. Accessed July 30, 2008
- Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral Cancer Facts http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm. Accessed July 30, 2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Causes of oral cancer. http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3225_10175_272695_langId-en,00.html Accessed July 30, 2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Causes of oral cancer. http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3225_10175_272695_langId-en,00.html Accessed July 30, 2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer. http://info.cancer.ca/E/CCE/cceexplorer.asp?tocid=34. Accessed July 30, 2008
- Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral Cancer Facts http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm. Accessed July 30, 2008
- Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral Cancer Facts. http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm. Accessed July 30,2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer. http://info.cancer.ca/E/CCE/cceexplorer.asp?tocid=34. Accessed July 30, 2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer. http://info.cancer.ca/E/CCE/cceexplorer.asp?tocid=34. Accessed July 40, 2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer Treatment. http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3225_10175_762147640_langId-en,00.html. Accessed July 30, 2008.
- Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral Cancer Facts. http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/treatment/index.htm. Accessed July 30,2008
- Canadian Cancer Society. Oral Cancer. http://info.cancer.ca/E/CCE/cceexplorer.asp?tocid=34. Accessed July 30, 2008
- www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Treatment_Options_by_Stage_60.asp?rnav=cri, accessed 23 June 2008.
- Schiff, BA. Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Merck Manual. Revised October 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/ear,-nose,-and-throat-disorders/tumors-of-the-head-and-neck/oral-squamous-cell-carcinoma. Accessed 20121205.
- Treatments for Oral cancer. Canadian Cancer Society. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/oral/treatment/?region=on. Accessed 20231208.
