Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is the growth of cells that invade and cause damage to the tissue it surrounds.  It often appears as a growth or sore that does not go away.  Oral cancer can be located on the lip, tongue, check, floor of mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, pharynx.  Some ways to determine oral cancer are patches in the mouth that are white, red, or mixture of both.  Sores that will not heal, bleeding in the mouth, pain when swallowing, loose teeth, and a lump in the neck.  Anyone with these symptoms should consult a doctor or a dentist.

Treatments for oral cancer are the same for other types of cancer.  Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.  Proper treatment is solely dependent on what stage the cancer is at.  Surgery is commonly used for oral cancer this is usually done with a biopsy to remove the cancer.  Most people who are diagnosed with oral cancer are over the age of fifty years old.  There is no single cause of oral cancer, but some factors increase oral cancer are, smoking or chewing tobacco, alcohol, also sun exposure to lips.