Oral Cancer
What Happens In Oral Cancer?
Cancer starts in the mouth and spreads to other parts of the body. Tobacco usage, high alcohol consumption, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are all risk factors. A persistent ache, a lump, or a white or red spot on the inside of the mouth are all symptoms.
Oral cancers include cancers of various parts that are: lips, the inner lining of the cheek, tongue, gums and the floor of the mouth
Causes
Mouth cancers originate when the DNA of cells on the lips or in the mouth undergoes mutations. The DNA of a cell includes the instructions that tell it what to do. When healthy cells would perish, the mutations tell the cells to keep growing and dividing. A tumour can occur when abnormal mouth cancer cells accumulate. They may spread from inside the mouth to other sections of the head and neck, as well as other parts of the body, over time.
The flat, thin cells (squamous cells) that line your lips and the inside of your mouth are where most mouth cancers start. Squamous cell carcinomas account for the majority of mouth malignancies.
It’s unclear what causes squamous cell mutations that lead to mouth cancer. However, doctors have discovered some factors that may raise the risk of oral cancer.
Symptoms
- A persistent ache on your lip or mouth
- Anywhere in your mouth, there is a lump or growth
- Your mouth is bleeding
- Loose teeth
- Suffering from pain or trouble swallowing
- Dentures are difficult to wear
- Lump in your throat
- An earache that refuses to go away
- Significant weight loss
- Numbness in the lower lip, face, neck, or chin
- Patches of white, red, and white, or red in or on your mouth or lips
- A cough and a sore throat
- Stiffness or soreness in the jaw
- Tongue ache
Diagnosis
A physical examination will be performed first by your doctor or dentist. The roof and floor of your mouth, the back of your throat, tongue, and cheeks, as well as the lymph nodes in your neck, will all be thoroughly examined. If your doctor is unable to determine why you are experiencing symptoms, you may be sent to an ENT specialist.
A brush biopsy or a tissue biopsy will be performed if your doctor finds any tumours, growths, or suspicious lesions. A brush biopsy is a painless procedure that involves brushing cells from the tumour onto a slide. A tissue biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of tissue is removed and inspected under a microscope for malignant cells.
Your doctor may also conduct one or more of the following tests:
- X-rays are used to determine whether cancer cells have moved to the jaw, chest, or lungs.
- A CT scan is used to detect malignancies in the mouth, throat, neck, lungs, or other parts of the body.
- A PET scan is used to see if cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
- An MRI scan is used to obtain a more accurate image of the head and neck and to evaluate the cancer’s extent or stage.
- An endoscopy is a procedure that involves looking inside the nose, sinuses, inner throat, windpipe, and trachea to evaluate the nasal passages, sinuses, inner throat, windpipe, and trachea.
Diagnosis
A physical examination will be performed first by your doctor or dentist. The roof and floor of your mouth, the back of your throat, tongue, and cheeks, as well as the lymph nodes in your neck, will all be thoroughly examined. If your doctor is unable to determine why you are experiencing symptoms, you may be sent to an ENT specialist.
A brush biopsy or a tissue biopsy will be performed if your doctor finds any tumours, growths, or suspicious lesions. A brush biopsy is a painless procedure that involves brushing cells from the tumour onto a slide. A tissue biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of tissue is removed and inspected under a microscope for malignant cells.
Your doctor may also conduct one or more of the following tests:
- X-rays are used to determine whether cancer cells have moved to the jaw, chest, or lungs.
- A CT scan is used to detect malignancies in the mouth, throat, neck, lungs, or other parts of the body.
- A PET scan is used to see if cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
- An MRI scan is used to obtain a more accurate image of the head and neck and to evaluate the cancer’s extent or stage.
- An endoscopy is a procedure that involves looking inside the nose, sinuses, inner throat, windpipe, and trachea to evaluate the nasal passages, sinuses, inner throat, windpipe, and trachea.
Treatment
Surgery and radiation therapy are used to treat the condition. Chemotherapy may be required in some circumstances.
Surgeries:
- Laryngectomy for Ca larynx
- Reconstruction of a composite resection with neck dissection (pedicled and microvascular).
- Glossectomy.