The Oral cavity is the second most common cancer seen in Indian males after lung cancer. The most common cause being chewing Tobacco. The signs and symptoms of oral cancer are very important because it is curable if detected at the earliest stage.
The oral cavity is at high risk of affected by cancer in the pretext of high incidence of
• Tobacco Use
• Smoking
• Alcoholism
The cancer cells multiply in geometric progression and they can grow to an advance stage in a very short interval like one to two month. In the following conditions the patient must consider consulting a doctor preferably an oncologist.
• A painless sore or ulcer in the mouth or lip which does not heal.
• Lump or thickening of the lip, gum or below the tongue etc.
• A white or red patch in the oral cavity : Leukoplakia or erythroplakia are premalignant conditions.
• Bleeding with numbness in the mouth or an ulcer which was painless earlier but now is painful.
• Change in voice.
• Trouble during chewing or painful swallowing.
• Difficulty in opening the mouth.
• Difficulty in moving the tongue.
• Swelling of the jaw.
• Long standing sore throat or feeling of something in the throat.
• Swelling in the neck which is hard, mobile/fixed, and is increasing in size and number
Investigations to establish the diagnosis of oral cancers:
• Physical examination by an experienced doctor is most essential for the diagnosis. Examination of the oral cavity with gloved figures to feel the lips, tongue, bucal mucosa, gums etc. neck should be examined properly for any palpable lymphnodes.
• Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist. If leukoplakia is found, cells taken from the patches are also checked under the microscope for signs of cancer.
• FNAC: Fine needle aspiration cytology from the nodes or ulcer.
• CT SCAN/ MRI SCAN/ PET CT SCAN: of the neck can be useful to see the exact extent of the disease. It is always advisable to do a scan at the first stage so that it will help the surgeon to plan surgery and also the radiation oncologist to plan radiation.
The cancer in the oral cavity or throat are curable if they are cured at the right time.
