Malignant neoplasms can affect the lips, tonsils, palatine tissue, tongue, gums, internal mucous membranes of the cheeks. Similar diseases are rare, they make up only 1.5-2% of the total number of oncological lesions. But oral cancer is an extremely dangerous disease that quickly metastasizes to nearby organs and lymph nodes.
Causes of cancer on the oral mucosa
The main factor predisposing to the appearance of tumors in the considered zone is smoking, chewing tobacco and similar substances. Alcohol abuse only burdens the situation.
Other reasons:
- insufficient hygiene of the oral cavity;
- deficiency of vitamin A in the diet;
- exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
- dyskeratosis;
- frequent use of too spicy or hot food;
- mechanical injuries (from the acute edge of the tooth or filling, crown, prosthesis).
In some situations it is not possible to find out exactly the circumstances that caused the development of the tumor.
Signs and Diagnosis of Oral Cancer
In the early stages of progression, it is difficult to identify the described pathology. Therefore, it is so important to visit the dentist regularly for preventive examinations.
With the development of the tumor, symptoms begin to appear:
- ulcers , dens in the oral cavity;
- change of voice;
- sense of foreign body presence;
- unexplained pain;
- deterioration of swallowing or mastication of food;
- swelling of the jaw;
- loss of sensation, numbness of any zone of the mouth;
- red or white spots on the skin of the lips, mucous.
Diagnosis includes the following manipulations:
- visual inspection;
- endoscopy;
- biopsy;
- radiography;
- blood tests for oncomarkers ;
- computer or magnetic resonance imaging;
- scanning of bones.
Treatment of cancer of the oral cavity
The method of combating cancer depends on the variety, form and degree of pathology. It is developed strictly individually for each person on the basis of the results of the conducted studies.
The general complex scheme of treatment includes such approaches:
- surgical removal of existing neoplasms (classical excision, laser operations, "cyber-knife" and other variants);
- biological therapy;
- irradiation;
- chemical therapy.
The expediency of using and combining these methods is assessed only by an oncologist.