Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is the uncontrollable growth of the cells in the areas associated with the oral cavity. Oral cancer includes cancer of mouth, lips, sinuses, soft palate, hard palate and pharynx.For more details,please login to www.aesthetica.co.in
Oral cancer is seen more in men than in women due to the kind of lifestyle and habits men possess. Smoking is done on a larger scale in men across the world than the women. So chances of occurrence of oral cancers are more in males. Tobacco users who consume tobacco in a non-smoking form develop cancer of the lips, cheeks and gums than the smokers. Alcohol consumption increases the chances of the occurrence of oral cancer in an individual. If an individual has family members or relatives with oral cancers then there are good chances for the occurrence of the oral cancers in the individual too. Sun exposure at the young age in excessive quantities is also a major cause for the occurrence of oral cancer in a patient. The survival rates decreases with the increase of the time period. So the patient is informed about his expected remaining life time in order to keep him mentally and emotionally ready for the day.
The symptoms of oral cancer are quite prominent and a good differential diagnosis can be given by the dentist. Swellings can be seen on the lips, on the buccal mucosa as well as gums, sudden bleeding inside the mouth, reduced healing ability, development of red and white patches i.e. erythroplakia and leukoplakia respectively. Soreness of the throat, ear pain, and change in the way dentures fit can be seen as symptoms in the patients.
The diagnosis of oral cancer is done by the dentist. First, a thorough oral checkup is done by the dentist to find any other symptom or change in the normal functioning in the mouth. Then the patient is sent for oral cancer screening. Moreover, if the dentist finds some structure or tissue which is questionable then the sample of the structure is sent for diagnosis. The reports of the biopsy play an important role in the detection of the oral cancer. Brush biopsy and scalpel biopsy are the two types of biopsies which can be done by the patient.
Oral cancers are treated by the removal of the cancerous growth from the location of the occurrence of the cancer. This is followed chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy whichever is felt to be suitable by the dentist for the patient. This increases the life time period of the patient.
Being aware of the causative factors of oral cancer is important for the patient. In order to prevent from oral cancer it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle by following proper diet and keeping the body away from every kind of toxic substances. Self assessment should be done to look for any abnormal finding in the mouth. Regular dental checkups are necessary as many of the dental diseases are diagnosed in these routine checkups.