Oral Cancer Screening

As you can probably surmise, oral cancer is cancer of the mouth. Most commonly affecting the mouth, lips, tongue, or throat, this kind of cancer affects more than 3,000 Canadians each year. More surprisingly though is the fact that more than 1,000 deaths occur every year as a result of a cancer. Fortunately, there are some early signs and risk factors associated with oral cancers that can help doctors, dentists, and patients identify the disease early and deliver immediate treatment.

Signs and Symptoms

Oral cancer can be difficult to identify for the lay person; as such, regular dental visits are important factor in the early detection and treatment of cancer. Nevertheless, people should be aware of the following signs and symptoms and should visit a doctor or dentist immediately if they notice

• White or red patches in the mouth or on the lips or tongue,
• Changes in the texture or colour of tissues in the mouth such as lumps,
• Numbness, sore patches, or abnormal bleeding in the mouth, especially sores that don't heal,
• Difficulty swallowing, or
• Changes in taste or tongue sensation.

Sores, lumps or ulcers in the mouth are among the most common sign of oral cancer. Patients may notice deep, hard cracks in mouth tissue that are often pale, but may also be dark or discoloured. These lumps may form on the tongue, lip, throat, or other areas of the mouth and they may be painless at first.

Other signs that are commonly associated with cancer may include

• Difficulty chewing,
• Speech difficulties,
• Swollen lymph nodes,
• Tongue problems, or
• Weight loss.

Risk Factors

As tends to be the case with many forms of cancer, the direct causes of this type of cancer are not entirely understood. However, there are a number of risk factors that make you much more likely to develop oral cancer. Clearly consumption of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco increase your risk of developing oral cancer. Likewise, heavy alcohol consumption, especially when combined with the use of tobacco products multiplies your chances of suffering oral cancer.

Still, there are a wide range of risk factors that patients should try to avoid:

• Unprotected oral sex,
• Repeated or extended exposure of the lips to the sun,
• Poor diet,
• Genetics,
• A family history of cancer or oral cancer,
• A history of lukoplakia which is a thick, whitish patch inside the mouth.
• Oral Cancer Screening and Treatment

Oral cancer is generally identified through various diagnostic tests including biopsy, x-rays, ultra sounds, CT scans, or even MRIs. Ultimately, your dentist or doctor will biopsy the affected area and may suggest other diagnostic tests to determine whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the mouth or body.

With regards to treatment, patients can expect similar treatments as with other cancers. Surgery to remove the tumour is usually recommended as the first treatment action. Furthermore, radiation therapy and chemotherapy for larger tumours can help to ensure the tumours are removed completely and prevent metastasis. In severe cases, some patients may need to undergo other therapies such as speech therapy or treatments to improve chewing and/or swallowing.