Your regular checkup is a good time for your dentist or doctor to check your
entire mouth for signs of cancer. Regular checkups can detect the early stages
of oral cancer or conditions that may lead to oral cancer. Ask your doctor or
dentist about checking the tissues in your mouth as part of your routine exam.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of oral cancer include:
Patches inside your mouth or on your lips that are
white, a mixture of red and white, or red
White patches (leukoplakia) are
the most common. White patches sometimes become malignant.
Mixed red and white patches (erythroleukoplakia)
are more likely than white patches to become malignant.
Red patches (erythroplakia)
are brightly colored, smooth areas that often become malignant.
A sore on your lip or in your mouth that won't heal
Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor or
dentist so that any problem can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Most often, these symptoms do not mean cancer. An infection or another problem can cause the same symptoms.
Diagnosis of oral cancer
If you have symptoms that suggest oral cancer, the doctor or dentist checks
your mouth and throat for red or white patches, lumps, swelling, or other
problems. This exam includes looking carefully at the roof of the mouth, back of
the throat, and insides of the cheeks and lips. The doctor or dentist also
gently pulls out your tongue so it can be checked on the sides and underneath.
The floor of your mouth and lymph nodes in your neck also are checked.
If an exam shows an abnormal area, a small sample of tissue may be removed.
Removing tissue to look for cancer cells is called a biopsy. Usually, a biopsy
is done with local anesthesia. Sometimes,
it is done under general anesthesia. A pathologist then looks at the tissue
under a microscope to check for cancer
cells. A biopsy is the only sure way to know if the abnormal area is cancerous.
If you need a biopsy, you may want to ask the doctor or dentist some of the
following questions:
Why do I need a biopsy?
How much tissue do you expect to remove?
How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it
hurt?
How soon will I know the results?
Are there any risks? What are the chances of
infection or bleeding after the biopsy?
How should I care for the biopsy site
afterward? How long will it take to heal?
Will I be able to eat and drink normally after
the biopsy?
If I do have
cancer, who will talk with me about treatment? When?
There are a variety of diseases and conditions that can cause tongue problems, discoloration, and soreness. Though most tongue problems are not serious. Conditions such as leukoplakia, oral thrush, and oral lichen planus may cause a white tongue while Kawasaki syndrome, scarlet fever, and geographic tongue may cause the tongue to appear red. A black hairy tongue may be caused by overgrown papillae on the tongue. Canker sores, smoking, and trauma may cause soreness of the tongue.
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. HPV is primarily transmitted by sexual contact. While some people develop warts in the genital region after infection, others experience no symptoms. Though genital warts can be removed, there is no cure for HPV infection. There is a vaccine to prevent infection from four common HPV types.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
The HPV virus (genital warts) in men can cause health problems. Genital warts are confined primarily to the moist skin of the genitals or around the anus. Genital warts are caused by the human papillomaviruses (HPVs), which are transmitted through sexual contact.
Head and neck cancer is cancer of the oral cavity, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, or lymph nodes in the upper part of the neck. These cancers account for 3% to 5% of cancers in the U.S. Tobacco and alcohol use are important risk factors. Treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy.
Leukoplakia is a white or gray patch that develops on the tongue or inside the cheek. Causes of Leukoplakia may include irritation from rough teeth fillings or crowns, chronic smoking, sun exposure to the lips, or HIV or AIDS.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Smokeless tobacco can have negative health effects such as cancers, poor oral health (gum disease and tooth decay), infertility, pregnancy complications, and nicotine addiction.
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