Oral Cancer

The lining of the lips, mouth, or upper throat can develop cancer, which is known as oral cancer or mouth cancer. In the mouth, it typically begins as a painless white area that thickens, turns red in spots, develops into an ulcer, and keeps getting worse. It typically appears on the lips as a slow-growing, persistent crusting ulcer that does not heal.

                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Pathophysiology                                                                                                                                                                                                    

A mucous basal cell proliferation that is out of control leads to oral squamous cell cancer. With the accumulation of mutated genes known as oncogenes, a single precursor cell is turned into a clone made up of several daughter cells. The capacity for metastasis distinguishes a malignant tumor from a benign one. This skill is unaffected by the tumor's size or grade (often seemingly slow growing cancers like the adenoid cystic carcinoma can metastasis widely). A cancer's propensity to secrete enzymes, angiogenic factors, invasion factors, growth factors, and many other substances that enable it to spread is what distinguishes it from other diseases characterized by rapid growth.

                                     

Causes

Following are some of the causes of Oral Cancer.

Smoking: Oral cancers are six times more likely to develop in cigarette, cigar, or pipe smokers than in nonsmokers.

Using smokeless tobacco: The risk of developing malignancies of the cheek, gums, and lip lining is 50 times higher in people who use dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco products.

 Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol: Drinkers are around six times more likely than nondrinkers to develop oral cancer. Using smoke and alcohol combined further enhances the chances of oral cancer.

Cancer in the family: family history oral cancer also some time is the cause.  

Excessive sun exposure, particularly in young children. Lip cancers can be brought on by the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

HPV (human papillomavirus): Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has etiologic risk factors associated with specific HPV strains (OSCC).                                                                                                                                                      

                       


Risk factors

Following are some of the risk factor of oral cancer.

·         Prolonged sun exposure to the face and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection

·         An oral cancer diagnosis in the past, a family history of the disease or other cancers, poor nutrition, a compromised immune system, and being a man.

·         Men are two times more likely

·         As women are more likely than men to develop oral cancer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Oral Cancer Types

Oral cancer can be of the following areas.

·         Lips

·         Tongue

·         inner cheek lining

·         gums

·         floor of the mouth

·         hard and soft palate.             

 

                                                                                   

Staging of oral cancer                                                                                                                                                                       

Oral cancer progresses via four phases.

Stage 1: The tumor is 2 centimeters (cm) or less, and the lymph nodes have not yet been affected by the cancer

Stage 2: The tumor is 2-4 cm in size and the lymph nodes are free of cancerous cells.

 

Stage 3: Either the tumor is more than 4 cm in size and has not yet metastasized to the lymph nodes, or it is any size and has metastasized to one lymph node but not to other body sites.

 

Stage 4: Tumors of any size that have migrated to neighboring tissues, lymph nodes, or other areas of the body due to cancerous cells.             

                                                           

Sign and Symptoms of Oral Cancer

The following are some of the sign and symptoms of oral cancer;

·         A tumor or growth in the mouth, a sore on your lip or in your mouth that won't go away, bleeding from the mouth, loose teeth, pain while swallowing, or trouble wearing dentures.

·         A persistent earache, a lump in your neck, or significant weight loss

·         Numbness in the chin, neck, lower lip, or face

·         The mouth or lips becomes white, red, or red and white spots on them.

·         Throat irritation jaw ache or stiffness

·         Tongue ache  

 

Complications of Oral Cancer

If oral cancer left untreated for a long time, it could result in the following

·         Because of the treatment's low blood count, there is a higher risk of infection (chemotherapy or radio therapy)

·         extreme pain

·         Bleeding

·         Having trouble swallowing as a result of malnutrition and dehydration brought on by mouth swelling and pain         

 

 

 

Diagnosis

Oral Cancer can be diagnosed from physical examination and biopsy.

Physical examination: The doctor looks for any changes, such as sores, spots, or cysts, on the lips or in the mouth.                                                                                                                        

Biopsy: Your dentist will do a screening exam for oral cancer as part of your regular dental examination. Your dentist has the best chance of recognizing any cancer because they are familiar with what a healthy mouth should look like. Starting at age 18, experts advise getting tested every year, and even earlier if you start smoking. Take a sample of tissue from the injured area and send it for biopsy to test for cancer.                                                                                                                            

 

 

Prevention of Oral Cancer

Following are some points by which one can prevent from oral cancer.

·         Stay out of the sun's direct rays.

·         Don’t use of alcohol

·         End the use of tobacco

·         Stay away from both active and passive smoking.

·         Eat healthfully and with a balanced diet.                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                       

 

Treatment

Depending on the kind, location, and stage of the cancer at diagnosis, many treatments are available for oral cancer.

Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor and malignant lymph nodes is typically the first line of treatment for early stages. It's also possible to remove additional tissue from the lips and neck.

Radiation treatment: Another alternative is radiation therapy. For two to eight weeks, a doctor will direct radiation beams to the tumor once or twice per day, five days each week. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are frequently used in the treatment of advanced stages.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a form of medicine used to treat cancer. You can receive the medication by mouth or through an intravenous (IV) line. most patients receive chemotherapy in an outpatient setting.