What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies observed mainly in developing countries. The most common type of oral cavity cancer is SCC and the main factors for its occurrence are smoking and the consumption of alcohol at a high frequency and for a long period of time. The combination of these factors with poor oral hygiene, inhalation of wood shavings, and unbalanced dietary habits, such as excessive consumption of red meat and salt, can contribute to its appearance. However, oral cancer can also affect patients who do not belong to the above risk groups.
This disease therefore describes a condition in which malignant cancer cells invade the inner lining of the mouth. The places where oral cavity cancer mainly occurs are the tongue, the area below it and the gums, without excluding any other surface inside the mouth. More rarely it can be observed on the lips, on the inner part of the cheeks, on the palate and the pharynx. The patients who are also affected are mostly men, with a percentage of 70% and aged 50 years and older.
Oral cancer: The symptoms
Tumors inside the mouth take the form of wounds that do not heal, causing a mouth ulcer for a long period that lasts several weeks. These wounds are characterized by a hard texture, which bleeds continuously. But in addition to this symptom, others can be observed such as:
- White or red spots on surfaces of the mouth such as the tongue, gums and lips.
- Bad breath, due to the growth of bacteria in the area.
- Pain in the tongue.
- Numbness in areas inside the oral cavity.
- Pain radiating down the throat, through the tongue.
- Pain radiating to the ear, through the tongue.
- Appearance of a mass in the neck.
Some other lesions, characterized as premalignant, can also be responsible for the formation of tumors within the oral cavity. These diseases are characterized in this way, due to the fact that if they do not treated in time, they can cause some malignancy. These are:
- Leukoplakia
- Erythroplakia
- Oral lichen planus.
- Oral submucous fibrosis.
The diagnosis
Evaluation of oral cavity tumors includes a thorough examination of the head and neck by visual examination and palpation, as well as biopsy of the tumor itself. An examination also using fiber optics to better visualize the back of the neck may be necessary, especially in cases where the tumor is quite large and there are more symptoms. In addition, a CT or MRI scan usually needs to be performed in order to better assess the overall picture of the mouth and surrounding lymph nodes.
The treatment
Treatment of early oral cancer almost always requires surgery. The type of surgery recommended depends on the individual characteristics of each tumor. It may also become necessary to remove the lymph nodes from the neck. In advanced cases, treatment requires a combination of mouth and throat surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Although, in order to choose a specific treatment, a number of factors that concern each individual patient have to be taken into account. Dr. Olga Papadopoulou, who is an otolaryngologist surgeon, is characterised by a long – lasting experience in the field and can contribute to the treatment of this disease.