Mouth Cancer: An Overview

What Is A Mouth Cancer?

Cancer is the uncontrollable growth of various cells that can either invade or cause significant damage throughout its surrounding tissues. Mouth cancer is a type of cancer that is present inside your mouth. It is often called oral cavity cancer or simply oral cancer. Mouth cancers are one of the cancers that are under the category neck and head cancers.

What Are the Types of Mouth Cancers?

Some mouth cancers may appear as a sore or unusual growth in your mouth, which do not go away over time. Since our mouth consists of many parts, these can also be affected and often classified as a type of mouth cancer.

• Lip Cancer
• Tongue Cancer
• Cancer on the Cheeks
• Cancer Under the Tongue
• Hard Palate Cancer
• Soft Palate Cancer
• Sinus Cancer
• Throat Cancer

Regardless of the type of cancer, each is equally life-threatening and should be diagnosed early, following immediate treatment.

What are the Stages of Mouth Cancers?

There are five stages of mouth cancers, from stage zero to four. Each stage has distinct features and appearances that allow you to identify which stage of mouth cancer is seen.

Stage zero: In this stage, oral cancer is only growing within the oral cavity’s epithelium. This means that you cannot see any cancer cells present in the tissue’s deeper layers and the nearby structures and lymph nodes.

Stage one: At the first stage of mouth cancer, a small tumor, also known as the primary tumor, appears 2 cm or smaller. There are still no cancer cells found along with the nearby structures, distant sites, or lymph nodes.

Stage two: The oral tumor now measures from 2 cm to 4 cm. Cancer cells have not spread to the lymph nodes, nearby structures, and distant sites.

Stage three: There are several possibilities to determine if your mouth cancer is on stage three:

• The oral tumor becomes larger than 4 cm but has not yet spread through the lymph nodes.
• The oral tumor has grown through the lymph nodes but not on the distant sites and nearby structures.

Stage four: Tumors grow in any size, and cancer is spreading through their nearby tissues, lymph nodes, and other parts of the body.

What do the Early Stages of Mouth Cancer Look Like?

Squamous cells are flat cells responsible for covering the surface of your lips, tongue, and mouth. This area is where cancer is the most common. Several patches that can be seen from your tongue, tonsils, gums, and mouth can be mouth cancer. Mouth cancers look different from each other. Here, we discuss characteristics of what mouth cancer looks like.

Red Patches

You can find bright red patches in your mouth, which may have a velvety texture. These are often called erythroplakia. They are often precancerous but could also progress as cancer. This is why it is important not to ignore this symptom.

White Patches

White patches in your mouth are called keratosis or leukoplakia. These look like a white or grayish patch that is caused by an overgrowth. Irritants such as broken texture, rough tooth, and tobacco are the most common precursors for these patches. It develops slowly and can result in malignant cancer. In most cases, these symptoms are benign.

Combination of White and Red Patches

There are times when white and red patches are present. These are called as erythroleukoplakia. When you see this type of patch, it may be an indication of a cancerous cell. These cells should only last for less than two weeks. If it is still present after that period, you should visit your dentist.

What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Mouth Cancer?

• Human papillomavirus infection
• Intense sun exposure
• Previous oral cancer diagnosis
• Genetics and family history of oral cancer
• Weakened immune system
• Poor oral health

What Are the Treatment Options for Mouth Cancer?

If you have unusual patches in your mouth that last for more than two weeks, be sure to get an oral cancer check-up with our dentist. Early diagnosis of oral cancer can be critical to get a higher chance of having a successful treatment. There are several treatment options available:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy

After treatment, your dentist may ask for frequent visits and regular check-ups to ensure that your oral cancer recovers. Each recovery period will vary as some may require rehabilitation while some do not.

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