Oral Cavity Cancer

Overview and Facts about Oral Cavity Cancer

Oral cavity cancer is any kind of cancer that begins in the mouth. The oral cavity can include the following areas:

• Floor of the mouth
• Front two-thirds of the tongue
• Gums
• Inner lining of the cheeks
• Lips
• Roof of the mouth
• Teeth

Overall, oral cavity cancer is relatively common, as this collection of diseases make up three percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States.

Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cavity Cancer

Signs of oral cavity cancer vary depending on what part of the mouth is affected. However, you might experience some of the following symptoms:

• A noticeable lump or growth in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• Mouth or ear pain
• Pain when swallowing
• Red or white patches inside your mouth
• Sores in your mouth or on your lips that don’t heal

Causes and Risk Factors of Oral Cavity Cancer

Oral cavity cancer is caused when the healthy cells in your mouth suffer a mutation in their DNA.

Unfortunately, doctors don’t know exactly why this happens, but they have narrowed down some risk factors that make it more likely. These include:

• Drinking a lot of alcohol
• Having a weak immune system
• Having human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a virus that can be sexually transmitted
• Letting your lips be exposed to the sun a lot
• Tobacco use, including snuff, chewing tobacco, cigars and cigarettes

Tests and Diagnosis of Oral Cavity Cancer

Patients are best evaluated by an expert otolaryngology team and cancer center. There, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the ear, nose, and throat can perform a physical exam and look at your medical history.

If they see anything suspicious, they may take a biopsy, which involves obtaining a small tissue sample to examine under a microscope for signs of disease; in this case, cancer. They might also:

• Perform an endoscopy
• Perform CT scan
• Take a MRI
• Perform a PET/CT scan
• Take X-rays

Imaging tests help doctors determine what stage the cancer is, which influences treatment decisions.

Treatment and Care for Oral Cavity Cancer

Treatment for oral cavity cancer all depends on where the cancer is and how far it has progressed. The best treatment is to remove the cancer through surgery. If the cancer has spread, this might involve removing part of the tongue, jawbone or roof of the mouth.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be used as methods to kill cancer cells.

Radiation therapy works by using high-energy beams to directly target cancer cells. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, is a medication that kills cancer cells.