Early Warning Signs Oral Cancer

Hearing the word cancer can be very scary for most of us. We have all been touched in some way by this disease that comes in many forms. When it comes to oral cancer early diagnosis is the key for long term survival.

Your dentist plays a big role in early diagnosis. This makes regular dental visits extremely important. Modern technology has developed the Velscope oral cancer screening tool to help your dentist keep you healthy. This special light can see changes in the tissue that the human eye cannot see alone.

What Is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer includes any cancer that begins and develops in your mouth. This can mean the throat, cheeks, tongue, hard and soft palates, floor of the mouth, or lips. Oral cancer usually begins as a sore in the mouth that does not heal. Unfortunately, many assume it is just a canker sore or a pizza burn and ignore it. This usually leads to a much later detection of the disease. The majority of oral cancer is classified as squamous cell carcinoma, which attacks epithelial cells.

Males are most at risk of developing oral cancer. They run 2x the risk as females do of developing oral cancer. That may be because many of the top causes of oral cancer, such as smoking, are more widely practiced by men than women. As for age, people who are middle-aged and older are most likely to develop the disease.

Oral cancer kills more than 8,000 people every year in the United States. Some 43,000 are newly diagnosed each year, but many others go into remission only to have the cancer come back a few years later. The oral cancer survival rate is 57 percent, and this has actually improved over the past decade (used to be 50% survival rate) as people become more vigilant about getting screened.

A disturbing trend is that an increasing number of oral cancer cases are being caused by HPV16 (a type of Human Papilloma Virus) that effects the mucus membranes and skin. It tends to affect the back of the mouth, including the oropharynx, the tonsils, and the base of the tongue.Unfortunately, since these types of cancer are in the back of the mouth, the color changes and lesions that often signal the presence of oral cancer can be more easily overlooked by patients. They may not know that their mouth has undergone any chance and not seek professional care.

Oral cancer has a high risk of recurring for the first 10 years after diagnosis. Patients are up to 20 times as likely to get cancer again as those who have not been diagnosed with oral cancer.

If you currently have an oral sore (mouth or throat) that does not seem to ever go away, or if you see a white, grayish, or bright red patch inside your mouth that appears different than surrounding oral tissues, then that could be a sign of oral cancer.

Oral cancer can also affect function. Those with oral cancer may begin to find it difficult to chew, swallow, or even speak normally. Difficulty moving your jaw or tongue is another warning sign of the disease. Oral Cancer patients may also experience numbness in certain areas of the mouth.

If you experience a persistent, unexplained oral pain consult your dentist. This could be an early warning sign for oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Screenings Las Vegas

If you notice any of the above warning signs, please seek medical attention as soon as possible to quickly diagnose the issue. Early detection is the key to survival from oral cancer.