Oral Cancer

Oral Cancer

The lining of the lips, mouth, or upper throat can develop cancer, which is known as oral cancer or mouth cancer. In the mouth, it often begins as a painless white area that thickens, turns red in spots, develops into an ulcer, and keeps getting worse. It often appears on the lips as a slow-growing, persistent crusting ulcer that does not heal.

Other signs and symptoms might be swallowing that is unpleasant or difficult, new lumps or bumps in the neck, a mouth swelling, or numbness in the lips or mouth.

Alcohol and cigarette usage are risk factors. The risk of oral cancer is 15 times higher in those who use both alcohol and cigarettes than in people who do not. Infection with HPV, chewing paan, and sun exposure on the lower lip are additional risk factors. A subtype of head and neck malignancies is oral cancer.

A biopsy of the problematic region is used to make the diagnosis, which is then followed by a CT scan, MRI, PET scan, and inspection to see whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Avoiding cigarette products, limiting alcohol use, using lip sunscreen, getting the HPV vaccine, and avoiding paan are all ways to prevent oral cancer. Combinations of surgery (to remove the tumour and local lymph nodes), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy may be utilised as treatments for oral cancer. The sorts of therapies will be determined by the extent, distribution, and size of the cancer as well as the patient’s overall condition.