Oral Cancer is treated as a type of head and neck cancer.
It occurs in the oral cavity, which includes the tongue, lips, inside of the cheeks, on gums, roof of mouth, tonsils, salivary glands and throat. Because of the locations where it occurs, your dentist is trained to spot signs of oral cancer. This makes regular dental checks important for everyone. In western countries the most common area for oral cancer is the tongue and floor of the mouth.
Risk factors
Smoking
Oral cancer is more prevalent in smokers, who are three times more likely to contract the disease. If the smoker also drinks heavily the risk increases. The risk of oral cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke and is most likely to start in the floor of the mouth but it can spread to other areas of the mouth that get affected by the harmful substances in tobacco. These areas can include the vocal chords, windpipe and nasal passages.
Smokeless tobacco
This includes chewing tobacco and snuff, all of which are carcinogenic substances. They have become more popular in the UK since the smoking ban but they are not harmless and will increase the risk of a number of cancers including oral cancer.
Betel Nuts
Asian ethnic communities chew these nuts, often alongside tobacco. They are stimulants and are carcinogenic which increases their risk of oral cancer.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is a major cause of oral cancer. You are about twice as likely to develop it if you drink three or four drinks a day compared to people who do not drink at all.
Poor diet and lack of exercise
As with most forms of cancer, a sedentary lifestyle coupled with a poor diet, low in fruit and vegetables, is a risk factor.
Bad teeth and gum hygiene
Poor teeth and gum hygiene leads to an increase in plaque and to gum infection. Dental plaque has been associated with an increased cancer risk.
Age
Oral cancer occurs more often in people over 60 and in more men than women in the over 40’s.
HPV Virus
Being infected by certain types of the HPV virus increases your risk of oral cancer. The virus can be contracted by having numerous sexual partners. There is a small but increasing number of younger people getting oral cancer who have few or none of the other risk factors. This increase has been linked to the HPV virus.
Sun exposure
Lips can also be affected by oral cancer following high exposure to sun without protection.
Symptoms of oral cancer
Common signs of oral cancer can include an ulcer that does not heal after three weeks, persistent pain in your mouth or neck, pain when swallowing, red or white patches on the lining of your mouth, unexplained weight loss, hoarse voice and swollen lymph glands in your neck
Treatment
Treatment for oral cancer can include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy or a combination. If the cancer has not spread beyond the mouth or area of throat at the back of mouth, it can often be cured using a combination of therapies. Treatments can have side effects that cause facial disfigurement, eating and dental problems or speech problems. Doctors and therapists work closely to manage the treatment and side effects to allow the patient to return to a normal life following treatment.
Prevention
It is still not clear why only a small number of people develop oral cancer but being aware of the risk factors can safeguard you against the disease. Stopping smoking and decreasing alcohol consumption will help to protect you from this form of cancer. Looking after your teeth and gums will also decrease your risk.
Dentists are trained to look out for and identify any signs of oral cancer when checking your teeth. This makes regular visits to the dentist essential for everyone. As with most forms of cancer the quicker you have it diagnosed and treated the better the outcome.
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