What Are the Five Signs of Oral Cancer?

Approximately 54,000 people are diagnosed with oral cavity cancer yearly, states the American cancer society, with 11,230 cases expected to be fatal. Oral cancer affects any working parts of your mouth and oral cavity, including the lips, cheek and lip linings, front two-thirds of the tongue, gums, the mouth roof, and the tongue called the floor.

When should you worry about bumps, sores, or swelling in the mouth? If you don’t know, here is some information you should watch out for.

Signs of Oral Cancer

Patches of Trouble

The flat cells covering the surfaces of your mouth, tongue, and lips are known as squamous cells. Most mouth cancers begin in these cells. A patch on your tongue, gums, mouth lining, and tonsils signals trouble. White or red patches in your mouth or lips could be a potential sign of squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, oral cancer can look and feel different, making the skin feel thicker or nodular, or you may have persistent ulcers and erosion. The persistency of these abnormalities is essential to note because noncancerous lesions resolve within weeks.

Mixed Red-And-White Patches

Mixed red-and-white patches in your mouth is an abnormal cell growth more likely to become cancerous. If the red-and-white patches don’t subside within two weeks, you must see the dentist in Lapeer, MI, because the evaluation becomes essential as you might see the abnormalities in your mouth before you feel them. After all, the early stages of mouth cancer are painless.

Red Patches

Bright red patches in your mouth with a velvety appearance are often precancerous. Unfortunately, nearly 75 to 90 percent of cases with bright red patches are cancerous, and if you ignore the bright spots in your mouth, you will require a biopsy to test the cells for cancer.

White Patches

White or grey patches inside the mouth of your lips are caused by a rough tooth, broken nature, tobacco use, and cell overgrowth. Chewing inside your cheeks or lips can also result in these patches. The patches also develop from exposure to carcinogenic substances. Unfortunately, the patches signal that the tissue is abnormal and can become malignant. Although in most cases, they are benign. The patches might be rough and hard to scrape and generally develop gradually over several weeks or months.

Tongue Sores

You may find erythroplakia in any part of your mouth, but most often, it occurs on the floor of the mouth beneath the tongue. Therefore you must check your mouth monthly for signs of abnormalities. You can use a magnifying mirror and lights for a clear view. Pull your tongue out gently with your fingers and inspect underneath, looking at the sides of the tongue and the insides of your cheeks while examining inside out.

Causes of Oral Cancer

Mouth cancers develop when the cells on the lips of the mouth develop mutations in their DNA. The cell’s DNA contains instructions to tell the cell how to act. The mutation changes indicate to the cells they must continue growing in dividing until healthy cells die. The abnormal growth of mouth cancer cells can create a tumor and spread inside the mouth and other parts of the head, neck, or body. Most cancers are generally benign in the flat and thin squamous cells lining the inside of your mouth and lips. No evidence is available on what causes squamous cell mutations, but medical professionals identify the factors that may enhance the risk of mouth cancer.

What Is the Treatment for Oral Cancer?

The treatment for mouth cancer depends on its location, stage, and overall health and personal preferences. You may require one type of treatment or combined cancer treatments to deal with mouth cancer after getting a confirmed diagnosis from oral cancer screening dentistry that you are affected by this devastating condition. The treatment options will include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy lasting for several weeks or months to ensure medical professionals kill the cancer cells in your body.

Doctors specializing in oncology may also offer targeted drug therapy for mouth cancer to alter specific aspects of cancer cells that encourage their growth. In some situations, the targeted drugs are used alone or combined with chemotherapy and radiation to deal with mouth cancer. In addition, oncologists may also use immunotherapy to use your immune system to fight against cancer.

Instead of allowing a devastating condition to affect you getting yourself screened for oral cancer by Lapeer City Dental is a better option to ensure you are not affected by this problem. Consult the dental practice today if you haven’t been screened for oral cancer for several months.