Oral cancer: Symptoms, treatment and prevention

Oral cancer screening is a part of a regular dental checkup. This is why it’s important to maintain regular dental visits for a cleaning and exam.  With oral cancer, early detection can mean can mean the difference between life and death, and its symptoms are visible to a dentist before they are noticeable to the patient. If left untreated, oral cancer can metastasize, or spread to other areas of the body.  About 3400 of Canadians were diagnosed with oral cancer in 2010, and about 1,150 died from it.

An oral cancer exam is one more important reason to schedule regular dental check-ups. The oral cancer exam takes only minutes and is painless.

Signs of oral cancer:

• • lumps or a change in texture on mouth or tongue
  • bleeding, numbness or sores that don’t heal
  • White, gray or red patches in the mouth or on the tongue or lips
  • Pain when chewing or swallowing
  • Sore throat or hoarseness

If you are experiencing changes in your mouth like these, visit your dentist immediately. Again, many times symptoms don’t present themselves until the oral cancer has already progressed, which is why it’s important to get screened even if you do not have symptoms.

Preventative measures:

The exact cause of oral cancer is unknown, but  lifestyle factors such as poor diet, smoking, frequent sun exposure and excessive alcohol use can all contribute to oral cancer developing. Some patients may be genetically predisposed to oral cancer. Patients who have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) are also at greater risk of developing oral cancer. We advise all patients to inform us of their medical history, to maintain a healthy diet and to limit alcohol and tobacco use.

Treatment

If your dentist notices anything abnormal, a biopsy may be ordered to determine whether precancerous cells are present. Often times, the symptoms or irritation are caused by something benign and can easily be managed. Treatment for oral cancer includes surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery and radiation work well together in treating these types of cancers.