Mouth cancer, also attribute to as oral cavity or oral cancer, may advance in any part of the mouth that include –
Floor of the mouth
Lips
Tongue
Roof of the mouth
Gums
Inside lining of the cheeks
The most common type of oral/mouth cancer is squamous cell cancer. This different type of cancer can be found in a number of places in the body that also include under the skin and inside of the mouth. Other not so common types of mouth cancer are –
Adenocarcinomas: This rare type of mouth cancer grows within the salivary glands.
Oral Malignant Melanoma: This is also a rare type of mouth cancer that establish in cells known as melanocytes. These melanocytes are important for providing the skin its color.
Oral cancer appears when there is something wrong or unusual in the normal cell lifecycle. This abnormal working of the cell lifecycle results in intractable growth and recreation of these cells.
Dramatic weight loss
Bumps or lumps, thickenings/swellings, rough spots or eroded areas or crusts on the gums, lips and/or other areas within the mouth
Ear pain
Perpetual sores on the mouth, face or neck that explanation bleedings and that do not improve within two weeks
A change in the approach the dentures or teeth capable together
Pain, strange numbness, loss of feeling in any area of the neck, face or mouth
Change in voice, hoarseness or chronic sore throat
Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
Problem in speaking, moving the tongue or jaw, swallowing or chewing
The development of velvety red, white or speckled patches inside the mouth
A feeling that something is there in the back of the throat
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ) : This stage is treated as the pre-cancer moment. In this stage, there are cancer cells that are inside the lining of the mouth that have not yet advance. If this stage is left basic then it can establish into an invasive cancer.
Stage 1: This is considered as the previous moment of invasive cancer. Now the cancer has started to establish through the mouth lining and also in the deep tissues below. The cancer has not advance close to other organs, tissues or lymph nodes and this cancer is not beyond 2 cm across.
Stage 2: In the second stage, the tumor is more than 2cm but is fewer than 4cm. Other agency or lymph nodes are remains unaffected by this cancer.
Stage 3: One or more conditions are true in this stage- first; the tumor is of any size that has advance to 1lymph nodes on the same side of the neck. Second, the cancer is more than 4 cm that has not advance to any part of the body or to any lymph nodes.
Stage 4: This stage is known as the advanced stage of oral cancer that is classify into three stages –
Stage 4A: This stage is marked by the growth of the cancer through the tissues around the mouth and lips. At this stage, it is possible that lymph nodes may or may not possess any cancer cells.
Stage 4B: This stage is marked by the spread of the cancer to any lymph node which is bigger than 6 cm or to lymph nodes on both neck sides, or to more than one lymph node on the same side of the neck.
Stage 4C: This stage is marked by the spread of the cancer to different body parts that include bones or lungs.
A number of tests are achieve for diagnosing mouth cancer that include –
Biopsy: A small tissue sample is taken in surgery that is further sent to a laboratory for determining the type of cells and whether they are cancerous or non-cancerous.
Throat and Mouth Examination: A special appliance known as malleable laryngoscope is used for viewing within the throat and mouth.
Certain other tests are also required for determining the advance of the cancer. These tests are –
A Barium Swallow and Meal Test: This test requires a patient to absorb a drink having barium. An x-ray will present images of abnormal improvement in the digestive system down to the stomach.
X-rays: X-rays are done of the lower and uppermost jaw or a chest x-ray can also be done.
Endoscopy: This test helps in consider the body from within. An endoscope (a definite and flexible tube having a telescopic camera) is used for performing this test.
Certain other biopsies of nearby lymph nodes are also done.
The treatment options of oral cancer have been classify into surgical and non-surgical treatments.
Surgery: The impressed tissue is removed with the help of surgery that also includes the use of lasers. The surgical procedure may also affect the removal of certain affected tissues in the mouth or lymph nodes in the neck. The removal of a small tumor in the mouth may not conclusion in any problems. On the other hand, the replacement of large tumor may also lack removing of a part of jaw, palate or tongue. All the cancer cells can be demolished if the surgery is pursue by radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Biological Therapy: The enterprise of the cancer cells is changed with the help of biological therapy. A type of biological therapy is known as Cetuximab that is also attribute to as a monoclonal antibody. The surface of the cancer cells that generate the development of cancer cells is blocked with the help of Cetuximab.
Chemotherapy: This analysis makes use of drugs for destroying the cancer bacterium. The needle of these drugs is done into a vein. Chemotherapy can also be combined with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy destroys the cancer cell that may have traveled somewhere else in the body while radiotherapy destroys the cancer area.
Radiotherapy: This analysis makes use of radiation for destroying cancer bacterium. This therapy decreases the tumor by aim a beam of emission onto the cancer cells. Rarely, a radioactivity authority can be implanted in the entrance that is known as Brachytherapy. The nearby tissues are not damaged by this therapy.