Oral cancer (mouth cancer) is the most frequent type of neck and head cancer. It usually affects those aged 60 and over. Oral cancer can affect your lips and the beginning parts of the tongue. It also affects your mouth, roof and floor. Also, it affects your or pharynx — the final part of your tongue and its roof. It also affects your tonsils, the sides and the back of your throat.
How can you tell if oral cancer is a problem?
Oral cancer (mouth cancer) is used for cancers affecting the mouth’s interior. Oral cancer may appear as the common problem you experience on your lips or inside your mouth, such as sores or white patches that are bleeding. The distinction between a normal issue and a cancerous one is that the changes won’t disappear. If left untreated, oral cancer could spread through your throat, mouth, and eventually other parts of your neck and head. About 63% of patients with oral cavity cancer remain alive five years after diagnosis.
Who are at risk of oral cancer?
In total, around 1 in 100,000 people will have oral cancer. Women are much more likely to get oral cancer. White people tend to be diagnosed with oral cancer more than Black people.
What areas of my body are present in my oral cavity?
The oral cavity is comprised of the following:
- Your lips.
- Your gums.
- The lining on the cheeks inside.
- The two-thirds portion on your tongue.
- Your mouth’s floor (the portion that is under the tongue).
- The mouth is the first part of the mouth’s roof.
- The area directly in front of your wisdom teeth.
What can cause oral cancer?
Oral cancer begins in the squamous cell layer of the oral cavity. Squamous cells are flat and, when examined with microscopes, look similar to the scales of a fish.
Normal squamous cells turn cancerous after their DNA is altered, and the cells begin to grow and expand. In time, the cancerous cells may expand to other parts of your mouth and later onto other parts of your neck, head, or any other part of your body.
What is the process for healthcare professionals to diagnose oral cancer?
Your dentist might spot the signs of oral cancer during your routine checkups. Oral Cancer treatment centre Noida could conduct a preliminary test or suggest you see the oral and maxillofacial specialist or the head and neck surgeon. They are also known as ears, noses and throat (ENT) specialists.
Oral cancer tests may include:
- Physical exam: Your physician will examine the whole oral cavity and may feel the area around your mouth. They’ll also check your face, head, and neck for symptoms of cancerous pre-cancer.
- A brush biopsy is also known as scrape biopsy, or exfoliative Cytology healthcare professionals use a spatula or brush to gently scrape the surface examined to get the cells tested for cancer.
- An incision biopsy is when your physician takes small tissue fragments to collect cells that can be checked for signs of cancer.
- Indirect laryngoscopy, also known as pharyngoscopy, The healthcare professional uses a tiny mirror mounted with a handle that is long and thin to view your throat as well as the base of your tongue and the part of the larynx (voice box).
- Direct (flexible) laryngoscopy, pharyngoscopy, and phary. The doctor may employ an endoscope to examine parts of your mouth and throat that cannot be observed using mirrors. An endoscope is an extremely thin, flexible tube with an illuminated viewing lens.
