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What is Mouth Cancer?

Mouth cancer or oral cancer is a kind of head and neck cancer that can occur in any part of the mouth like the lips, insides of the cheeks, roof and floor of the mouth, surface of the tongue, the gums, the salivary glands, the throat or the tonsils. Men face twice the risk of developing oral cancer compared to women according to the American Cancer Society. Diagnosing oral cancer at an early stage notably increases 5-year survival rates.

There are four stages of oral cancer, with stage 1 being the early stages and stage 4 being the most advanced stage of the cancer.

• Stage 1: In this stage, the tumor is less than 1 inch or 2 cm in diameter and will not have reached the nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 2: In this stage, the tumor size ranges from 1 inch or 2 cm to 2 inches or 4 cm in diameter. The cancer will still not have affected the lymph nodes.
• Stage 3: The three possibilities in stage 3 are

• The tumor is more than 2 inches or 4 cm in diameter
• The cancer has spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the tumor
• The cancer is not larger than 3 cm in the lymph node

• Stage 4: This is the most advanced stage of the cancer; possible scenarios include

• The cancer has spread to two or more lymph nodes on the same side of the neck as the tumor
• Tissues around the lip and oral cavity have cancer
• The lymph nodes near the lip and oral cavity may or may not have cancer
• Tumors on either side of the lymph nodes measure over 12 inches or 6 cm
• Cancer has moved to the lymph nodes on the other side of the neck
• The cancer spreads to other areas

Early Stages of Mouth Cancer

Signs and symptoms in the early stages of oral cancer are not very obvious. However, the earlier the signs are caught and the disease is diagnosed, the better are your chances of fighting it. Symptoms to watch out for in the initial stages of mouth cancer include the following.

• Mouth sores: If sores are present for two weeks or more, you need to get it thoroughly examined as cancer could be causing these sores.
• Have trouble swallowing: If there is no obvious reason for such a problem to arise, it is better to get yourself examined by a medical expert.
• Lump: A lump of any size should not be ignored. Get it examined, and if needed, be screened for cancer.
• Pain: If there is a painful lesion or an ulcer or a lump in your mouth that lasts for more than 14 days, consult your doctor.

To be safe, ask your dentist, as part of your regular dental exam, to conduct an oral cancer screening test.

Reference

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002030/
• http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/oral/page8
• http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/datastatistics/finddatabytopic/oralcancer/oralcancer5yearsurvivalrates.htm
• http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/oralcancerpdf.pdf