Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a serious disease that affects approximately 36,000 people in the U.S each year. Oral cancer, which includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheek, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and throat, can be life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.It’s important to educate yourself about oral cancer so you can do your best to avoid getting it.

Risk Factors

Research shows that men are more than twice as likely to get oral cancer than women, and African-American men have a higher risk than any other American. While doctors aren’t completely sure why certain people get oral cancer over others, there are certain risk factors that play a role. Other risk factors include:

• Tobacco: Tobacco use (including smokeless chewing or spit tobacco products) and alcohol consumption are the two biggest risk factors for oral cancer. Together, they account for nearly 95 percent of oral cancer cases.
• Alcohol: Oral cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers.
• Sun: Overexposure to the sun can cause extreme distress to your oral health, which could result in oral cancer.
• Infections: HPV (Human papillomavirus), which is also the primary cause of cervical cancer, is transmitted through sexual contact. More than 11,000 oral cancer cases are linked to HPV infection and health experts believe HPV is causing the increasing rate of oral cancer in younger adults. HIV is also a risk factor for oral cancer.

Symptoms

Although oral cancer usually develops in people over the age of 45, it can occur at any age. One of the primary symptoms for oral cancer is a small red or white sore or patch in your mouth that lasts more than a week is a primary symptom of oral cancer. While all sores are not considered oral cancer, it’s important to get it checked out just in case. Other symptoms include a sore on your lip that doesn't heal, bleeding in the mouth, difficulty or pain when swallowing, a lump in your neck, chronic earache, and numbness in your lower lip or chin.

Treatment Options

The extent of oral cancer treatments depends oncertain factors. Among them are the location, size, type and extent of the tumor and stage of the disease. Surgery is often used to remove tumors and other parts of the cancer. You may also need radiation or chemotherapy if your cancer is advanced. Presently, most patients who receive targeted therapy also receive radiation or chemotherapy.

Oral cancer is highly preventable with some simple lifestyle precautions.Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol consumption. Your diet can play a huge role in oral cancer prevention- eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. For each additional portion of fruits and vegetables you consume each day, experts say you could benefit from a 50 percent risk reduction in oral cancer. Lastly, remember to visit your dentist regularly to ensure your teeth are healthy and happy.