Oral cancer is still considered one of the cancers that is the least known today. At the same time, however, relatively many people suffer from the disease. How can this be? Due to only limited awareness, many sufferers of oral cancer go unnoticed. This is a fatal medical fact that costs the lives of many patients diagnosed with oral cancer every year. But detected early, oral cancer can also often be completely cured.
What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer refers to the type of cancer that can affect the lips and the entire mouth. So, not like pharyngeal cancer, for example, which tends to affect the throat and esophagus. However, these cancers often mix, which is why they occur together in clusters. In oral cancer, the lips, palate, salivary glands, inner cheeks, gums and even the tongue can be affected by the cancer. Very often, the lower lip is affected. This is the case in almost half of the recorded oral cancer diagnoses in Germany. Men, by the way, fall ill more often than women and according to statistics, oral cancer usually occurs after the age of 40.
Causes
The most common causes of oral cancer are increased tobacco and alcohol consumption. Especially if one follows both “vices” or also “pleasures” for a long time at the same time, the risk can multiply enormously according to current studies. People who chew tobacco are at extreme risk. For them, the risk of developing oral cancer later on is 50 times higher. Under certain circumstances, however, even absolute non-smokers and people who rarely or never consume alcohol can develop oral cancer. The causes can be just as a hereditary predisposition as well as environmental and health-related stresses to which the affected person is or was exposed for a long time.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
Depending on where a cancerous growth forms in the mouth, it has plenty of room to expand. Because of this, oral cancer may not cause any noticeable discomfort for a long period of time. Self-examination of the oral cavity, supplemented by dental check-up, is of corresponding importance. If you notice white or gray areas in the mouth that appear raised and may even start to bleed when touched, this may be an indication of cancer in the oral cavity. In principle, this can settle in any part of the oral mucosa, so you should regularly take a look at it yourself. Holes in the mucosa can also be a preliminary stage of a carcinoma. In general, complaints such as burning in the mouth, stabbing pain or occurrences such as a taste of blood in the mouth or even visible blood should be presented to the doctor. In advanced stages, oral cancer spreads further into the oral cavity and often begins to bleed. The decaying tissue can fester and cause a corresponding bad taste in the mouth and also strong bad breath. However, people often think of bad breath as insufficient oral hygiene or stomach problems. Bad breath, however, which occurs repeatedly and over a long period of time despite careful hygiene, should accordingly also be discussed with the dentist.
Diagnosis and course
Oral cancer
A timely detection and thus diagnosis of oral cancer is unfortunately anything but simple. For this reason, the disease often remains undetected for far too long. Oral cancer manifests itself at the beginning with minimal sores in the mouth, which accumulate in the course of the disease. However, these often also combine with unexplained pain throughout the mouth and lips. This makes chewing, swallowing and also speaking gradually more difficult, more painful and finally even almost impossible. In addition, there is often also advancing numbness and swelling. Visible tumors are also diagnosed, but not too often. The situation is different with red and white spots on the gums, which are increasingly traded as signs of oral cancer.
Complications
Oral cancer manifests with tumors on the tongue, palate or jaw and should be detected and treated early. If left untreated until the advanced stage of the disease, serious deterioration and even death of the patient may occur. In advanced stages, the cancer can lead to complications with swallowing and eating, causing sufferers to become emaciated and dehydrated.Those who have oral cavity cancer treated at an early stage have a greater chance of recovery. Older people in particular have to reckon with a worsening of the disease. The younger the sufferer, the better the chances of recovery. After completing oral cancer treatment, some patients develop new tumors, and patients with a younger age often bring a susceptibility to lymph node recurrence. Although oral cancer usually does not cause problems in the early stages, complications increase steadily as the tumor grows. In the course of the cancer, there are often disturbances in the oral cavity, such as hoarseness, bad breath and swallowing disorders. Chest pain and tongue movement disorders can also be seen as accompanying symptoms of oral cancer.
When should you see a doctor?
If swelling occurs in the mouth after biting the lips or tongue, a doctor is not needed. The discomfort usually subsides within a few days until it is ultimately completely resolved. If swelling in the mouth is not caused by an accident or injury, a visit to the doctor is advisable. A feeling of tightness in the mouth, pain or disturbances in the grinding of food should be clarified by a doctor. If bleeding, inflammation or problems with an existing denture occur, a check-up with a doctor is advisable to find the cause of the symptoms. A sudden hypersensitivity to different temperatures of the ingested food, a weakness of the usual chewing strength or a refusal of food intake indicate a health impairment. A visit to the doctor is necessary, as there is a disorder. In severe cases and if treatment is delayed, a fatal course of the disease is possible. For this reason, a visit to the doctor should be made at the first irregularities and changes. A taste of blood, bad breath and a burning sensation in the mouth should be presented to a doctor. If there is weight loss, abnormalities in behavior or disturbances in vocalization, a doctor is needed. Susceptibility to diseases of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat are other signs of impaired health.
Treatment and therapy
The correct point of contact when oral cancer is suspected is the treating dentist. He is able to initiate all further procedures for diagnosis and treatment. If oral cancer is detected early, it can usually even be treated more or less gently and sustainably. Only in moderate to severe stages does surgery, radiation or more extensive chemotherapy have to be resorted to. Especially in severe cases, however, treatment can be difficult – because the affected tissue cannot always be removed and treated without hesitation. Therefore, it is extremely important, also in the treatment of oral cancer, to pay attention to early detection. Heavy smokers, chewing tobacco users and people who drink alcohol more frequently should therefore regularly talk to their treating dentist about appropriate preventive examinations.
Outlook and prognosis
The prognosis for oral cancer depends crucially on the stage at which a tumor is diagnosed. In principle, a diagnosis of the disease immediately after its occurrence brings the best prospects of cure. The fact that a tumor in the oral cavity is not recognizable from the outside proves to be problematic. White spots are not noticed by the patient himself. They are usually discovered by chance by partners or doctors. As a result, unused time often elapses during which treatment could take place. This is why many diagnoses are made late. If the oral cancer forms metastases, the prospects even worsen considerably. Scientists determine the 5-year survival rate for metastases on the cervical lymph node to be 40 percent. For comparison: without an expansion of the tumor, about two-thirds of all patients are still alive after the fifth year. About 13,000 people develop oral cancer in Germany every year. Men are more susceptible than women. Patients who have smoked or consumed alcohol over many years have significantly worse chances of living a normal life. Inadequate oral hygiene and dental care also promote the aggressiveness of the tumor. The prognosis also worsens for the elderly and debilitated.
Prevention
Diagnosis of oral cancer is most likely to be prevented by abstaining from excessive and long-term alcohol consumption and smoking. Also quite helpful, but not an absolutely sure means of prevention, is increased oral hygiene. Regular tooth brushing and the use of mouth rinses can reduce – but not completely eliminate – the risk of developing oral cancer. Nicotine, in particular, is one of the substances that most promotes oral cancer when smoked. What’s more, regular preventive checkups with the treating dentist cannot prevent oral cancer per se, but they can make treatment much easier, more targeted, more promising and gentler through timely detection.
Follow-up
After the actual treatment measures have been completed, the aftercare of oral cancer begins. The primary goal is to prevent a recurrence of the disease. In addition, the patient should regain the necessary condition to cope with everyday life. Medical check-ups take place at regular intervals to monitor the progress of healing. This procedure gives the doctor the opportunity to detect and treat any consequential damage in good time. Likewise, a recurrence of the oral tumor can be diagnosed at an early stage. The follow-up examinations extend over a period of five years. In the first two years, they should be performed at three-month intervals. From the third year onwards, they can take place every six months. In addition to the usual check-ups, regular visits to the dentist are also advisable. Oral cancer often leads to impaired speech and swallowing. These are treated by physiotherapists and speech therapists as part of the aftercare. If the patient is at risk of poor nutrition, the advice of a nutrition expert is recommended. If necessary, this may be followed by nutritional treatment. Serious diseases such as oral cancer often also have a negative impact on the patient’s psyche. In such cases, psychosocial care is possible. This is provided, among other things, if depression or anxiety exist in the affected person.
What you can do yourself
If oral cancer is suspected, it is advisable to talk to the dentist treating the patient. Together with the medical professional, a suitable therapy can be worked out, through which the cancer can usually be treated gently and sustainably. In the first stage of the disease, strict oral hygiene must be observed in addition to medical treatment. Since there is an increased risk of infection, medical preparations should be taken to strengthen the oral flora. With the doctor’s consent, various natural remedies can also be tried, such as ginseng or arnica. The diet may also need to be changed. In the case of oral cancer, a gentle diet with sufficient raw vegetables and lean, not overly spiced meat is recommended. Accompanying this, the consumption of any stimulants must be stopped. Heavy smokers and people who regularly drink alcohol are particularly susceptible to oral cancer. Likewise, people who suffer from a chronic disease of the teeth or gums. People to whom these factors apply should consult a doctor immediately with symptoms mentioned. If these measures are followed, oral cancer can be treated well. However, a prerequisite for this is that the cancer has not yet metastasized. To ensure this, further physical examinations should take place in parallel with treatment.
