Mouth cancer

Oral cancer is cancer that occurs in the tissues of the mouth wall, lips, tongue, gums or palate. Oral cancer can also occur in the throat tissue (pharynx) and salivary glands.
Oral cancer is caused by abnormal tissue growth in the mouth. Symptoms of oral cancer that are usually felt are canker sores that do not heal, white or red patches appear and sore in the mouth.

Oral cancer treatment methods can include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and targeted drug therapy. The cure rate of patients with oral cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and their health condition
Symptoms of oral cancer

In some people, changes in oral tissue due to oral cancer can be ignored because it is considered harmless. Signs of change that must be considered are:

  • Sprue that does not heal for weeks.
  • Blood canker sores.
  • Red or white spots in the mouth.
  • Lumps or thickening in the wall in the mouth do not go away.
  • Extraordinary teeth for no apparent reason.

In addition to changes in oral tissue, the following symptoms may be experienced by people with oral cancer:

  • Pain in the mouth, especially in
  • Difficulty or pain when swallowing and chewing.
  • His jaw is stiff or painful.
  • Sore throat.
  • Change voice or speech (for example scrambled)
  • Difficulty speaking.

Advanced oral cancer does not only occur in the mouth. At this point, the cancer cells have spread and cause mass in the neck due to swollen lymph nodes.
When to see a doctor

To maintain healthy teeth and oral cavity, you must carry out routine checks at the dentist for one to two years. However, examinations can be done more often, depending on the opinion of the doctor, depending on the health condition of your oral cavity.

Early symptoms of oral cancer, such as thrush, are often considered harmless and are ignored until conditions are severe. Stay alert to the symptoms of oral cancer above and consult a dentist immediately if symptoms do not heal for more than 2 weeks.

Causes and risk factors for oral cancer

Oral cancer is caused by abnormal tissue growth in the mouth. The cause is genetic changes or cell mutations in tissue, but the cause of genetic modification itself is not known with certainty.

Several factors are thought to increase the risk of oral cancer, including heredity and age (over 50 years). It is also thought that certain behaviors and diseases make a person more at risk of developing oral cancer. Desired behavior is:

  • Smoke.
  • Consumption of alcoholic drinks.
  • Often chewed betel nuts.
  • Eat rarely fruits and vegetables.
  • Do not maintain oral hygiene and health, for example, allow cavities.
  • Often exposed to sunlight, for example field workers.

Diseases that can cause oral cancer are:

  • HPV infection.
  • Oral herpes.
  • Diseases that can weaken the immune system, such as HIV / AIDS.
  • Some genetic diseases, such as Fanconi anemia or congenital discerosis.

Diagnosis of oral cancer

The doctor will conduct an examination to determine whether the patient really has oral cancer and to determine the stage and spread of the cancer.

As a first step, the doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms and then check the patient's mouth condition. If you suspect mouth cancer, your doctor will do a biopsy, which involves taking a sample of oral tissue for examination in a laboratory.

Oral tissue samples can be taken using a thin needle or a small incision in the skin. Biopsy can also be done by endoscopy, using a tubular device with a camera and inserted through the mouth.

Besides collecting oral tissue samples, endoscopy can also be used to determine the condition of the oral cavity and its surroundings. With endoscopy, you can clearly see the parts that are difficult to see around the oral cavity, such as the throat or nasal cavity.

To see the spread of cancer, the doctor will perform several scanning methods, such as x-ray, CT scan, MRI or PET scan.

Oral cancer stage

Oral cancer is divided into 4 stages, according to the size and extent of its spread. The following explanation:

  • Step 1
At this stage, oral cancer is still very small, about 2 cm in length and has not spread to the surrounding tissue.
  • Step 2
At this stage, oral cancer is 2-4 cm in size, but has not spread to surrounding tissue.
  • Step 3
At this stage, oral cancer is more than 4 cm long or has spread to lymph nodes.
  • Step 4
At this point, the lymph nodes have dilated and the cancer has spread to certain tissues outside the mouth or to other distant organs, such as the liver.

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