Facts about Oral Cancer

This type of cancer could form anywhere in the throat or mouth. A person (male) of age 40 and up could be at high risk of oral cancer when the person heavily consumes tobacco and alcohol, or has a history of cancer in the neck or head. Right from having an earache to bleeding in the mouth or loose teeth, the symptoms of this cancer are many. Aside from these things, there are more that people need to about oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Facts

1. Oral cancer is considered to be the 11th most common type of cancer worldwide. This is a prevalent type of cancer in India, with 4 out if 10 are sufferers of the cancer. As stated by the Oral Cancer Foundation of India, there are 130,000 Indian people who succumb to the cancer annually. This translates into an estimated of 14 deaths every hour.

2. The major reason for the high prevalence of oral squamous cell carcinoma in India is genetic alteration. This is owing to chronic irritation, which triggers the release of nitrosamines from chewable tobacco- in the form of gutka, misri, betel quid, or snuff.

3. Tobacco use in different forms, including smokeless tobacco and cigarettes, as well as the excess alcohol intake is some factors that increase the risk of cancer. In addition, the chances of developing such type of cancer are greater in immunosuppressed people like transplant and HIV-infected patients.

4. Extreme exposure to the ultraviolet light increases the risk of developing oral cancer, especially in the lower lip. Not enough levels of vitamins A and C, fruits and vegetables in diet could also contribute to the chances from suffering this cancer. click here to learn more

5. Oral cancer often presents itself as exophytic growth or non-healing ulcer, which could be associated with pain, surrounding induration or hardening around the area, and occasional bleeding. The lesions may be red, white or pink.

6. Oral cancer is often found after a person’s fourth decade of life. But, there has been a recent upsurge in the incidence of cancer among young adults and the poor prognosis, despite being accessible remain to be disturbing facts.

7. This type of cancer is curable. However, the results of the treatment greatly depend on the stage of the disease and its metastasis (spread of tumor from the primary site to the other parts). In addition, as there is a presence of lymph node metastasis, this reduces the prognosis by 50%. Such is the reason why detecting the cancer at its most early stage is crucial.

8. The cancer could spread to the body through the lymphatic system. This starts in affecting the cervical lymph nodes. The chances of lymph node metastasis are about 20% to 30% during the early stages. It then rises to 60% to 70% in the advance stages. Distant metastasis could involve the lungs, liver, bone, skin, brain, GIT, and kidneys.

9. Concerns regarding the possible carcinogenic properties of mouth rinses that have alcohol content have been raised. Though there is really no direct cause-and-effect relationship established, it’s best to exercise caution and try to avoid excessive usage of such.

10. In order to prevent this cancer, it would be best not to neglect any kind of non-healing ulcer, patch or growth on the oral gums, mucosa, or tongue. Anything that could cause chronic irritation could be a possible cause for the cancer. Most importantly, learn more about oral cancer and make sure to visit a dentist regularly for a routine screening or checkup.