Mouth Cancer - Mouth Cancer Symptoms - Mouth Sores Causes - Mouth Cancer - Cancer In Mouth - Oral Cancer

Oral cancer (also oropharyngeal cancer) is a type of cancer that originates in the oral cavity or mouth. These include all the parts of the mouth, including the lips, the inside lining of the mouth, the front area of the tongue, the bottom of the mouth, the roof of the mouth and the area in the back of the mouth near the wisdom teeth. Or pharyngeal cancer is cancer that begins growing in the throat near the or pharynx.

For this reason, it is also known as throat cancer. The mouth is made up of several different types of cells and as a result, a number of different cancers can develop within the oral cavity. Depending on which type of cancer someone is diagnosed with, their prognosis, treatment, and symptoms may will be distinct to that type of cancer. Oral cancers can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors generally do not spread to other parts of the body, and are not as much of a threat as malignant tumors (though they may have similar symptoms).

Benign Oral Tumors: There are a number of different tumors that can form inside the oral cavity. They include:

Many of these types of tumors are defined by the type of oral cells in which they grow from. Usually, these types of cancers are treated through surgery, and since they are benign, they are usually treated once without the chance of them regrowing.

Pre-cancerous Conditions: Two types of conditions that are considered to be precancerous, or rather, cells that have potential to grow into cancer, are leukoplakia and erythroplakia. These conditions are diagnosed when abnormal cells are found within the mouth or throat region. Both of these conditions have distinct characteristics. Leukoplakia cells form a white patch inside the mouth and erythroplakia are sometimes raised patches of distinct by its red color and bleeds easily. Usually, a dentist is the first person to notice these conditions and the only way to tell if they are cancerous is to perform a biopsy.

Malignant Tumors: Some tumors found within the oral cavity are cancerous and life-threatening. They include:
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: This type of cancer originates in the salivary glands. It is slow growing and is often classified as a low-grade tumor. Though it can easily be treated in most circumstances, especially if it is found early, it has a high possibility of coming back, even many years after being removed. A biopsy is the best way for doctors to discover if a tumor is adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Squamous Cell Carcinomas: This is a type of cancer that is present in most cases of throat and oral cavity tumors. They usually originate from the lining of the mouth and throat. The first stage of this cancer is called carcinoma in situ and it is the stage of the cancer where the abnormal cells are on the outer layer of the skin. Soon, the cancer may become invasive and spread to deeper layers.

Verrucous Carcinoma: A type of squamous cell carinoma and occurs in 5 percent of all cases of mouth and throat cancers. This type of cancer spreads and grows very slowly and usually does not spread to other parts of the body. In these cases, the tumor is removed along with layers of tissue that surround the cancer to prevent it from growing back.

Lymphomas: This is a type of oral cancer that originates from immune system tissue called lymphoid. This makes up the regions of the tonsils and the base of the tongue.
Salivary Gland Cancer: This type of cancer is malignant and originates in the salivary glands. Since salivary glands are comprised of several types of different cells, salivary gland cancer is generally classified depending on which type of cell it originates from. Risk factors for this type of cancer include old age, radiation exposure and exposure to highly toxic substances.

Causes of Oral Cavity Cancers: It is not entirely certain what causes cancers, though some physicians and researchers do have a general idea of certain things that contribute to the development of cancer. Scientists do know that cancer is caused when DNA in cells are damaged, and instead of dying like normal, they divide and create new abnormal cells that spread out of control. There are several risk factors, such as:

Tobacco and Alcohol: These two substances are the primary concern of cancer researchers. They are damaging substances that can change DNA in the oropharynx, and cause cancer cells to develop. The oropharnyx is especially susceptible to developing cancer because these cells by nature develop more rapidly to repair the lining of the oral cavity and have a greater chance of growing into out-of-control tumors. It has also been proven that tobacco is dangerous enough where it can directly harm DNA within cells of the mouth. Though alcohol has not been proven to directly affect DNA, they may assist other chemicals in changing cell DNA.

HPV virus: The HPV virus has been linked to oral cancer as well. Scientists believe that the virus may cause certain genes in cells to turn off. These genes are normally responsible for regulating cell division and growth. With these genes off, cells can begin to divide rapidly and may formulate tumors. The tumors may then spread to surrounding tissue.

Oral Cancer Symptoms: Many types of oral cancers (also known as mouth cancer or oropharyngeal cancer) can be found early, usually during a routine screening by a doctor or a dentist. Some types of oral cancer or mouth cancer have symptoms early on, but other types of cancer do not show symptoms until they have reached an advanced stage. Signs of oral cancer can usually be diagnosed properly by a doctor or dentist.
Symptoms typically include:

Oral Cancer Prevention: Though there is no definitive way to prevent cancer from occurring, people can reduce their chances of getting oral cancer by eliminating all risk factors associated with causing it. To reduce risk of cancer, people should make the following choices:

Stop smoking and limit drinking- One of the primary known causes of mouth and throat cancer, stopping intake of these substances will reduce chances of getting oral cancer a great deal. Tobacco and oral cancer have been linked together by scientists all over the world. Even 76 percent of the scientists enlisted by the Council for Tobacco Research believe that smoking is the primary cause of oral cancer.
Avoid ultraviolet light- Aside from skin cancer, ultraviolet light has been linked to many other cancers as well, so taking the proper precautions and protecting yourself will go a long way.
Eating healthy foods- Eating healthy foods will no question lower your risks of developing cancer. Fruits and vegetables have been linked to cancer prevention in recent research studies.

HPV- The HPV is a virus that is common among 80 percent of the population in the United States. Not all strands of HPV are harmful, but some, like strand 16, are known to cause certain kinds of cancer. Recent research suggests that it is a cause for oral cancer as well. To limit exposure to HPV, people should practice safer sex as it is commonly spread through sexual transmission.

Oral Cancer Screening: Oral cancer can be found early through regular examinations of the neck and mouth area, either by a doctor, dentist or a person can feel for irregularities in one's own self. Some forms of oral cancers are difficult to detect early because they do not produce noticeable symptoms initially. Also, some forms of oral cancer may be confused with other oral diseases. A patient's medical history is one way to tell if a patient is at risk of developing oral cancer. If a patient has a family history of oral cancer, he or she should routinely receive oral and neck exams. During an exam, a doctor may commonly use mirrors to examine the throat and other areas of the mouth. The lymph nodes of the neck will also be examined for any irregularities. Newer techniques have also made these examinations much easier as well. Special fiber optic scopes have been invented that use flexible tubes that are inserted into the mouth and nose for a closer and more thorough examination.
Oral Cancer Diagnosis: A proper diagnoses of oral cancer usually depends on the expertise of a physician. If a trained physician has a reason to believe that a patient has oral cancer based on a normal examination of the mouth and the symptoms he or she may have, the physician may order a biopsy to be performed to determine for sure.

The Diagnosis Process:: A doctor will first ask about a patient's medical history and family history of illnesses. The likelihood of developing cancer is generally known as being hereditary. The doctor will then ask about any symptoms a patient may be feeling. The noted symptoms will then be compared to general knowledge of symptoms. Next, the doctor will take into consideration possible risk factors of cancer that a person may be putting him or herself in, such as smoking and alcohol abuse. Then, the physical examination will consist of a doctor feeling for bumps inside the mouth, along with an extensive examination of the face and neck area.

Procedures of a Oral Examine Include:

| Indirect Pharyngoscopy and laryngoscopy; | Direct laryngoscopy and nasopharyngoscopy; | Panendoscopy|

These procedures are generally used with mirrors to examine the back of the throat.

Oral Cancer Staging: Staging for oral cancer involves classifying a patient's tumor by its size, how far it has spread throughout the body, and if it has spread to lymph nodes. Staging is done for two main reasons. First, it helps a doctor determine which type of treatment would be best for the patient based on the progression of the tumor. Also, a proper prognosis or outlook can be determined. Staging for oral cancer is done in similar ways as most other cancers. It is based on the TNM system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). T represents the size of the tumor, N represents if the tumor has spread to lymph nodes, and M represents if the tumor has metastasized (spread to distant parts of the body). After these three categories are determined, the cancer is placed in one of five different stages (0-IV) to paint a picture of the tumor's progression.

Oral Cancer Prognosis: Oral cancer prognosis is dependent on how early it has been found. Cancer is first staged when it was found, and the stage of the tumor is usually a clear indication of what the outlook for the patient is. If cancer is found in stage I, the patient is usually given a positive prognosis. Generally, if a cancer is found beyond stage I, the survival rate drops rapidly and the prognosis is not as positive.

Oral Cancer Treatment: A physician's plan to treat a patient who has oral cancer will depend on a number factors. One of the prime factors is the stage in which the cancer has progressed to. The staging system allows doctors to easy tell which stage the cancer has progressed to and make necessary choices for treatment from there. In most cases, surgery is the number one treatment for oral cancer. If a cancer is benign, a simple surgical procedure is necessary to remove the tumor. In more severe cases, further surgeries may be needed. There are a number of different surgeries involved with oral cancer, some involving removal of not only a tumor but the surrounding tissue as well.

Radiation therapy is another choice to help slow cancer growth and reduce the size of the tumor. It is usually effective when used in conjunction with surgery. Radiation therapy can also be essential for relieving the symptoms associated with oral cancers.

Chemotherapy is sometimes used with radiation therapy and surgery to further help cancer patients, especially those in later stages of the cancer. It is usually used to shrink a tumor prior to surgery.
Targeted therapy is also being used and researched to be used to effectively treat oral cancer. Targeted therapy is a treatment that focuses on just tumor itself, helping to minimize side effects and eliminate them altogether. One such drug in targeted therapy is cetuximab, which is designed to black EGFR, which is essential for tumors to grow and divide.
Immunotherapy is a new type of treatment that takes advantage of a patient's natural immune system to help fight a tumor and its growth. This treatment can also grow immune system cells in a laboratory to be placed in the body of a patient to fight cancer cells.