Mouth Cancer

What is Mouth Cancer?

Mouth cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the mouth. It can include cancer of the tongue, inner lips, mouth, salivary glands, and your gums. This type of cancer can be a very big killer because so many people never realize that it is there until it is too late. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 30,000 people in America develop each year, and sadly about 7,000-8,000 people will die from this type of cancer each year. When cancer of the mouth is caught early on, usually it can be treated successfully; however, since the symptoms are usually painless early on, many people do not catch it right away. This means that understanding this type of cancer, the causes, and the symptoms is extremely important.

The Causes of Mouth Cancer

Cancer of the mouth usually occurs due to damage that occurs in your mouth, to both the cells and the DNA. There are a variety of different things that can damage the tissue in your mouth to cause cancer. Most people get mouth cancer from tobacco smoking. Alcohol is another thing that can cause damage to the tissues in the mouth, especially if it is combined with tobacco. The two together can lead to significant damage to the mouth, which may go on to cause cancer. In some cases, viruses, such as HPV, can go on to cause cancer in the mouth as well.

Mouth Cancer Symptoms

Knowing the symptoms to watch out for is important, and usually the earliest symptom of mouth cancer that you may discover is a slight change in the way your mouth looks or feels. This should never be ignored and you should be sure to alert your dentist about any slight changes that occur. There are a variety of other symptoms that you may experience as well, including the following:

  • Having a hard time chewing food
  • Thickening of the tissue in your cheek
  • Bad Breath
  • Lumps in your mouth
  • White or red patches inside your mouth
  • Pain that is persistent in your mouth
  • Sores that don’t heal
  • Pain around your teeth

Treatment for Cancer of the Mouth

Thankfully there are a variety of different treatments for cancer of the mouth, and if the cancer is caught early on, usually the treatment is very effective. If the cancer is caught in the early stages, surgery may be an options for treatment or just radiation. In some cases radiation and surgery are used together as well. When the cancer is in more advanced states, usually it is treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and in some cases chemotherapy as well. A recent development in treatment for oral cancer has also brought about the use of Angiogenesis inhibitors as well, which helps to stop blood vessels from growing to supply the cancer cells.

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