Oral Cancer Information for Everyone
By: admin | Thursday, January 15th, 2015 | Oral Health
Thursday, January 15th, 2015
If you had a history of cancers such as breast or colon in your family, you would automatically have yourself screened. The same should apply to oral cancer. Your mouth is just as susceptible to cancer cells than any other part of your body.
Oral cancer includes cancers of the:
- Cheeks
- Lips
- Hard palate
- Soft palate
- Floor of the mouth
- Sinuses
- Throat
Any of these types of cancer can be life threatening if not treated quickly. So early screening is vital to making sure cancer does not develop in these areas. Doctors will tell you that cancer typically has very few active symptoms; this is another reason why screening is important. However, there are a few things you can consider as symptoms that should alert you early on and let you know that you need to get checked.
These are some of the common symptoms:
- Rough spots on the lips and other areas of the mouth
- Unexplained numbness
- Pain in the face, neck and mouth
- Swelling and thickening of the lips and gums
- The development of red white and/or speckled patches in the mouth
- Difficulty chewing, speaking, swallowing or moving the jaw and/or tongue
Some lifestyle choices increase your chances of developing oral cancer. For instance, if you are a heavy smoker, you should quit immediately. Studies show that almost 40,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with oral cancer each year. Many of these are a direct result of smoking. This includes cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. You can also contract oral cancer from excessive drinking. Cancer is six times more common in people who drink alcohol than those who don’t. It can also come from excessive sun exposure.
You can do something about your risk of contracting oral cancer. If you have a family history with oral cancer, you need to plan for regular screenings and be on the lookout for symptoms.
