Cancer is a deadly disease and we all are aware of the harsh consequences of this disease. There are several types of cancer that take you towards the death bed but not all stages of cancer as harsh on you. Mouth cancer or oral cancer is one of the common forms of cancer that can take place in your mouth in several locations. It can happen over the roof of your mouth, lips, first parts of tongue and mouth floor. Please note that tobacco consumption is not the only source of having mouth cancer, there are several more. You need to be aware of the symptoms and causes in order to prevent oral cancer from occurring in your mouth.
What is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer is a collective term for cancer that gets affected inside your mouth. We spoke to Dr. Rishabh Goyal, Cancer Specialist at Vozart Healthcare Hospital, Bangalore to know about oral cancer in detail. Oral cancer can look like a very normal problem that happens on your lips or mouth. There could be white patches around different locations of your mouth. However, one of the common symptoms of Oral cancer is that it doesn't go away that easy. When left untreated, oral cancer can spread throughout your mouth and throat to other areas around your neck and head. Around 63% of people have oral cavity cancer and are likely to have it after 5 years of diagnosis.
Who is Affected by Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer affects more men than women. Although people in Western countries are more likely to develop. Mouth cancer than people who live in the southeast, eastern and South Asian block of the world. Oral cancer can affect your mouth and oropharynx. Oropharynx includes parts of the tongue and the roof of your mouth. It also includes the middle portion of the throat, which is visible when the mouth is open. This type of oropharynx cancer can be very critical and take you to life-threatening situation if left untreated.
Oral cancer can affect the following parts of the mouth-
- Lips
- Gums
- Lining of the inside cheeks
- Two third of the tongue
- Floor of the mouth
- The area right behind the wisdom teeth
Also Read- What Is Food Coma? Symptoms, Cause, Prevention Tips
Symptoms of Oral Cancer
- Sores patches are present on your lips or inside the mouth that can bleed easily and do not heal within two weeks.
- Rough word, crusty spots in the area of your lips, gums, or inside your mouth.
- Numbness or pain in the face, neck, or in your mouth that would occur without any apparent cause.
- Having unintentional weight loss.
- Chronic and bad breath
- Earache
- Bleeding in the areas of mouth without any specific cause.
- Difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving jaw or tongue.
What Causes Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer often spreads in the squamous cells in the oral cavity of the mouth. Squamous cells are flat and when they are viewed from microscope, they look like a fish scale. These squamous cells become cancerous when their DNA changes under sin begins to grow and multiply. Over the course of. These cancer cells spread over different locations of the mouth. The cause of oral cancer can be plenty but the main issue that turns the normal cells into cancerous ones is the above mentioned. Rest there are number of diseases and health conditions that could lead to development of oral cancer.
Also Read- World TB Day 2022: 8 Common Myths Busted
Risk Factors Leading to Oral Cancer
- Smoking cigarettes or cigars etc.
- Use of tobacco products that people chew, dip or snuff from the pipes
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Spending more time towards the protecting lips and with sunblock
- Having HPV, human papillomavirus
- Having a family history of oral cancer
Picture Credits- pexels.com
