- Appears as a growth eg. Lump/mass in mouth that does not go away.
- Can be seen on lips, tongue,cheeks,floor of the mouth, hard or soft palate ,sinuses and pharynx.
- Life threatening if not diagnosed and treated.
Symptoms
- Swelling, thickenings, lumps, bumps, rough spots, crusts, eroded areas on lips, gums,cheek or other areas inside the mouth.
- Velvety red, white , speckled (red and white) patches in the mouth.
- Unexplained bleeding in mouth.
- Unexplained numbness, loss of feeling or pain or tenderness in any area of face or neck.
- Persistent sores on face, neck, mouth that bleed easily and do not heal within 2 weeks.
- Difficulty in chewing, swallowing, moving the jaw or tongue.
- Hoarseness, chronic sore throat or change in voice.
- Ear pain.
- Swelling or pain in jaw.
- Dentures don’t fit.
Causes
- Smoking– Cigarettes, pipe, cigar.
- Seen 6 times more in smokers than in non smokers.
- Smokeless tobacco– can cause cancer in cheek,gums and lips.
- People consuming smokeless tobacco are 50 times more likely to develop oral cancer.
- Alcohol-People consuming alcohol are 6 times more likely to develop oral cancer.
- Family history.
- Sun exposure- Cancer of lip.
- Human papilloma virus-Oral sex
Gender
Males are twice likely to develop cancer as compared to females.
Age
Males above 55 years of age are more prone to develop oral cancer .
When to see a doctor/dentist?
persistent signs and symptoms that last more than two weeks.
How to Prevent oral/mouth cancer? oral/mouth cancer?
- Stop using tobacco or don’t start.
- Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all
- Avoid excessive sun exposure to your lips.
- See your dentist regularly.