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Dental Health: Oral Cancer
Written By: Administrator
Section: Guide
Category: Oral Health
2008-01-28 09:07:09

Page 1 of 2

Cancer is defined as the uncontrollable growth of cells that invade and cause damage to surrounding tissue. Oral cancer appears as a growth or sore in the mouth that does not go away. Oral cancer, which includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (throat), can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.

What Are the Symptoms of Oral Cancer?

The most common signs of oral cancer include:

Swellings/thickenings, lumps or bumps, rough spots/crusts/or eroded areas on the lips, gums or other areas inside the mouth.
The development of velvety white, red, or speckled (white and red) patches in the mouth.
Unexplained bleeding in the mouth.
Unexplained numbness, loss of feeling, or pain/tenderness in any area of the face, mouth, or neck.
Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and do not heal within 2 weeks.
A soreness or feeling that something is caught in the back of the throat.
Difficulty chewing or swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue.
Hoarseness, chronic sore throat, or change in voice.
Ear pain.
A change in the way your teeth or dentures fit together.
Dramatic weight loss.

If you notice any of these changes, contact your dentist or health care professional immediately for a professional examination.

Who Gets Oral Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, men face twice the risk of developing oral cancer as women, and men who are over age 50 face the greatest risk. In fact, oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer among men.

Risk factors for the development of oral cancer include:

Smoking. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop oral cancers.
Smokeless tobacco users. Users of dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco products are 50 times more likely to develop cancers of the cheek, gums and lining of the lips.
Excessive consumption of alcohol. Oral cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers.
Family history of cancer.
Excessive sun exposure, especially at a young age.

It is important to note that over 25% of all oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and who only drink alcohol occasionally.

What Is the Outlook for People With Oral Cancer?

The overall 1-year survival rate for patients with all stages of oral cavity and pharynx cancers is 81%. The 5- and 10-year survival rates are 56% and 41%, respectively.

How Is Oral Cancer Diagnosed?

As part of your routine dental examination, your dentist will conduct an oral cancer screening exam. More specifically, your dentist will feel for any lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, face, and oral cavity. When examining your mouth, your dentist will look for any sores or discolored tissue as well as check for any signs and symptoms mentioned above.

Your dentist may perform an oral brush biopsy if he or she sees tissue in your mouth that looks suspicious. This test is painless and involves taking a small sample of the tissue and analyzing it for abnormal cells. Alternatively, if the tissue looks more suspicious, your dentist may recommend a scalpel biopsy. This procedure usually requires local anesthesia and may be performed by your dentist or a specialist. These tests are necessary to detect oral cancer early, before it has had a chance to progress and spread.

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Oral Cancer - Topic Overview
Written By: Administrator
Section: Cancer
Category: Oral Cancer
2008-01-27 15:23:51

Oral cancer may develop in any part of the mouth. Risk factors for oral cancer include smoking or chewing tobacco and excessive use of alcohol.

It is important to check regularly for symptoms of oral cancer. See the When to Call a Doctor section of this topic for a list of symptoms.

For additional information on oral cancer, see the following topics:

Oral Cavity Cancer – Health Professional Information [NCI PDQ]
Oral Cavity Cancer – Patient Information [NCI PDQ]

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Last Updated: May 20, 2005

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Prevention of Oral Cancer - More Information
Written By: Administrator
Section: Cancer
Category: Oral Cancer
2008-01-25 04:55:31

ABOUT PDQ

PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database.
Full description of the NCI PDQ database.

ADDITIONAL PDQ SUMMARIES

PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Adult Treatment
Treatment options for adult cancers.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Pediatric Treatment
Treatment options for childhood cancers.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Supportive Care
Side effects of cancer treatment, management of cancer-related complications and pain, and psychosocial concerns.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Screening/Detection (Testing for Cancer)
Tests or procedures that detect specific types of cancer.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Prevention
Risk factors and methods to increase chances of preventing specific types of cancer.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Genetics
Genetics of specific cancers and inherited cancer syndromes, and ethical, legal, and social concerns.
PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Information about complementary and alternative forms of treatment for patients with cancer.

IMPORTANT:

This information is intended mainly for use by doctors and other health care professionals. If you have questions about this topic, you can ask your doctor, or call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

Date Last Modified: 2007-06-14

VitaDocs Public Information from the National Cancer Institute

This information is produced and provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The information in this topic may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National Cancer Institute via the Internet web site at http://cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER

Last Updated: June 14, 2007

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

Some material in CancerNet™ is from copyrighted publications of the respective copyright claimants. Users of CancerNet™ are referred to the publication data appearing in the bibliographic citations, as well as to the copyright notices appearing in the original publication, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

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Prevention of Oral Cancer

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Prevention of Oral Cancer - Summary of Evidence
Written By: Administrator
Section: Cancer
Category: Oral Cancer
2008-01-25 04:40:10

Note: Separate PDQ summaries on Screening for Oral Cancer; Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer Treatment; and Prevention and Cessation of Cigarette Smoking: Control of Tobacco Use are also available.

Avoidance of Tobacco

Based on solid evidence, avoidance or cessation of exposure to tobacco (e.g., cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco) would lead to a decrease in oral cancer.

Description of the Evidence

STUDY DESIGN: Evidence of association and reduced risk obtained from cohort or case-control studies.
INTERNAL VALIDITY: Good.
CONSISTENCY: Good.
MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES: Decreased risk, moderate to large magnitude.
EXTERNAL VALIDITY: Good.

Avoidance of Alcohol

Although alcohol use is a risk factor for oral cancer, there is inadequate evidence that cessation of alcohol use decreases the risk of oral cancer.

Description of the Evidence

STUDY DESIGN: Evidence of association only from cohort or case-control studies.
INTERNAL VALIDITY: Good.
CONSISTENCY: Good.
MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES: Decreased risk, moderate magnitude.
EXTERNAL VALIDITY: Good.

Oral cancer risk is highest in persons using both alcohol and tobacco, compared with those using one or the other.

Dietary Factors

There is inadequate evidence to determine whether a change in diet would decrease the risk of oral cancer.

Description of the Evidence

STUDY DESIGN: Evidence of association only obtained from cohort or case-control studies.
INTERNAL VALIDITY: Inadequate.
CONSISTENCY: N/A.
MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES: N/A.
EXTERNAL VALIDITY: N/A.

Sun Exposure

There is inadequate evidence to determine whether reducing sun exposure would prevent lip cancer.

Description of the Evidence

STUDY DESIGN: Evidence of association only obtained from cohort or case-control studies.
INTERNAL VALIDITY: Inadequate.
CONSISTENCY: N/A.
MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES: N/A.
EXTERNAL VALIDITY: N/A.

VitaDocs Public Information from the National Cancer Institute

This information is produced and provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The information in this topic may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National Cancer Institute via the Internet web site at http://cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER

Last Updated: June 14, 2007

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

Some material in CancerNet™ is from copyrighted publications of the respective copyright claimants. Users of CancerNet™ are referred to the publication data appearing in the bibliographic citations, as well as to the copyright notices appearing in the original publication, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.