WHAT IS ORAL CANCER?
Oral cancer, which can also be known as mouth cancer, is a form of the disease whereby a tumour develops in an area of the mouth. It is the sixth most common form of cancer in the UK, and is typically on the surface of the tongue, inside the cheeks, the lips or gum or roof of the mouth.
In less common cases, tumours can also develop in the saliva-producing glands, the tonsils or the pharynx (part of the throat). It is a cancer where early diagnosis is beneficial. Spotting mouth cancer early boosts chances of survival from 50% to 90%.
Why Is Oral Cancer Difficult To Detect For People?
Early detection is so important and unless you have been trained, initial signs may not be apparent.
In the early stages, there is often no pain and any visible signs may be extremely hard to spot.
Small patches of different colour mouth tissues are only really noticeable when light is shone directly into the mouth.
If you’re not experiencing pain, it’s unlikely you’ll be closely inspecting your mouth.
This is why it is important to visit your dentist regularly.
Signs and symptoms to look for:
There are no obvious symptoms to look out for, but if you have one or more of the following symptoms, seek professional dental help:
- A mouth sore or ulcer that does not heal within three weeks
- Lumps or swelling in the mouth, head or neck
- Inexplicable difficulty in chewing or difficulty moving the jaw or tongue
- Extreme sore throat and hoarseness that lasts for several weeks
- New and mysterious tooth mobility
- White or red patches in the mouth
Risk Factors
Oral cancer will mostly impact those over the age of 50, around 4% of all diagnoses are for those under the age of 40.
Risk factors include:
Smokeless tobacco (i.e. chewing tobacco) & Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
Mouth cancer risk is 87% higher in never-smokers who have been exposed to ETS at home or work, compared with unexposed never-smokers.
Alcohol-Drinking more than 10 units of alcohol a week could be increasing the risk of mouth cancer by 81%.
● Sunlight and Sunbeds
Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer. Skin cancers are relatively common on the head and neck as these areas are more often exposed to UV radiation. Skin cancer can develop on the lip.
- The human papillomavirus (HPV) contributes to a growing percentage of oral cancers, particularly in areas such as the oropharynx, tonsils and base of tongue.
SUMMARY – THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEING YOUR DENTIST
Routine check-ups not only help to spot and treat signs of decay, plaque build-up and early onset gum disease, but your dentist is also the professional perfectly placed to identify early signs of oral cancer.
A dentist may not be able to prevent someone from suffering from cancer, but they can spot concerns early on and make the immediate appropriate referral.
