These 5 conditions in the mouth may be a warning sign of cancer! One is very common and should not be ignored.

Oral cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers in the world. Oral cancer refers to oral squamous cell carcinoma, which can be understood in layman's terms as cancer that occurs in the "mouth".

However, since there are many structures in the oral cavity, dentists classify the diseases according to the actual location of the lesions. For example, oral cancer occurring on the tongue is called tongue cancer, and oral cancer occurring on the gums is called gingival cancer. By analogy, there are also buccal mucosal cancer, floor of mouth cancer, palate cancer and other classifications.

Many people may encounter common problems such as oral ulcers and leukoplakia in their daily lives, but few people know that these symptoms may also be related to oral cancer. Today, let’s talk about the common symptoms and preventive measures of oral cancer to help everyone better protect their oral health.

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These 5 risk factors make

Oral cancer sneaks up on you

In China, tongue cancer, buccal mucosa cancer, gingival cancer, and palate cancer are the most common. In particular , tongue cancer has shown a clear upward trend in recent years, accounting for 41.8% of oral cancers. The second most common cancer is buccal mucosa cancer, which accounts for 30.2% of oral cancers. Gingival cancer has shown a downward trend in recent years, accounting for 22.5% of oral cancers. [2] The occurrence of oral cancer is mostly caused by bad habits, environmental factors, and biological factors.

Similar to the occurrence of any other cancer, there are many risk factors associated with oral cancer.

1

Bad living habits

The first is bad living habits, such as smoking, chewing betel nuts, and drinking. Especially if you are always smoking and drinking, you should be very careful.

2

Specific environmental factors

Secondly, specific environmental factors, such as strong sunlight, nuclear radiation and environmental pollution, may also cause oral cancer.

3

HPV infection

In addition, studies have found that people infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) have a higher risk of developing oral cancer.

4

Dentures that are uncomfortable and damaging to the mouth

For some elderly people, poor oral hygiene and improper denture installation may also increase the risk of oral cancer. In clinical practice, we often see that some "disrepaired" or poorly made "roadside dentures" repeatedly press and rub the gums, causing gingival cancer.

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Understanding these risk factors can help you take preventive measures and reduce the incidence of oral cancer.

If you have these 5 symptoms

Beware of oral cancer!

The development of cancer is usually a multi-stage, multi-step process. Early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment are crucial to improving patient survival rate and quality of life.

Therefore, regular check-ups are particularly important for people at high risk of various types of oral cancer, including gingival cancer , as they help to detect potential malignant changes in a timely manner and take appropriate measures.

The first thing is to understand the early symptoms of cancer. Here are some signals worth paying attention to.

Persistent mouth ulcers: If the ulcers in the mouth do not heal for more than two weeks, they may need attention.

· Red and white changes in the oral mucosa: Pay attention to whether white, red or dark spots appear in the mouth. Leukoplakia and red spots in the mouth may be signs of precancerous lesions.

Local swelling or swollen lymph nodes: Unexplained swelling in the mouth or neck, or swollen lymph nodes, may indicate that the cancer has spread.

Repeated bleeding gums : Frequent bleeding in the mouth without obvious reasons may be an early sign of oral cancer, especially gum cancer.

Numbness or pain: Unexplained numbness or pain in the face, mouth, throat, or neck should be a cause of concern because it may be a sign that the tumor has invaded the nerve tissue.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, especially if you experience several of them at the same time, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for a checkup as soon as possible. The doctor may perform a physical examination, observe any abnormalities in the mouth, and may perform a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Stay away from oral cancer

Do these 5 things

If you are diagnosed with gum cancer or another type of oral cancer, your treatment options will often depend on the stage of the disease.

In the early stages , doctors generally recommend surgery to remove the tumor and may also perform a neck lymph node dissection at the same time or in stages.

Treatment of oral cancer is usually more complicated in the middle and late stages . Doctors may first use chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, then perform radical surgery, followed by radiation therapy. If the tumor has invaded surrounding tissues or organs, a wider resection may be required. If the cancer has spread to the contralateral neck lymph nodes, a bilateral neck lymph node dissection may be required.

Because the mouth plays an important role in appearance, eating, and speech, tissue reconstruction may be required after surgery to restore appearance and function as much as possible. This may include the use of techniques such as flap transplantation to repair defects after surgery. In short, the treatment of oral cancer requires an individualized plan based on the specific situation, taking into account a variety of methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy to improve the treatment effect and the patient's quality of life.

Strengthening oral health education and eliminating oral cancer risk factors are crucial to preventing oral cancer. The following are some of the most easy-to-do prevention methods for most people.

· Quitting bad habits of smoking, drinking and betel nut - This seems to be very easy to do, but we do find that it is difficult for some people.

Avoid eating overheated food - hot soup, hot pot, barbecue and other high-temperature foods should be cooled as much as possible to prevent irritation to the oral mucosa.

· Promptly trim sharp tooth cusps and dentures - If dentures are damaged, they should be redone or trimmed promptly to prevent long-term irritation to the oral soft tissues.

· Protect from various physical and chemical stimulations - If you often work outdoors under strong sunlight, taking sun protection measures such as hats and masks can reduce ultraviolet radiation and reduce the occurrence of lip cancer.

Choosing a better living environment - staying away from industrial and polluted areas and reducing the intake of toxic and harmful substances is also a preventive measure to prevent oral cancer.

References

[1]Zhang Zhiyuan. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (7th edition). Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House. 2012

[2] Feng Xiping. Oral Preventive Medicine (7th Edition). Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House. 2020

[3]Sathish, N., X. Wang, and Y. Yuan. "Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oral cancers and treatment strategies." Journal of dental research 93.7_suppl (2014): 29S-36S.

[4]Yete, Subuhi, Wendy D'Souza, and Dhananjaya Saranath. "High-risk human papillomavirus in oral cancer: clinical implications." Oncology 94.3 (2018): 133-141.

Planning and production

Author: He Jianliang, Chief Physician of General Dentistry, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Review丨Shi Xiaojun, deputy chief physician, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital

Planning丨Wang Mengru

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin