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The Early Signs of Oral Cancer

Cancer is known to be an uncontrollable growth of cells that lead to damage of the surrounding tissues. Oral cancer is said to be a growth or sore which is present in the mouth and it does not go away. Oral cancer can also include cancer of the tongue, lips floor of the mouth, cheeks, sinuses as well as the throat or the pharynx. It can turn out to be life threatening in case if it is not diagnosed on a timely manner for the treatment to happen accordingly.

  • Mouth Sores: If there are persistent case of oral sores which do not heal then possibly you are suffering from oral cancer. Any broken area of the skin which does not show signs of healing then it could be a possible occurrence of oral cancer. There are about 80 to 85 people out of 100 who experience this symptom and suffer from oral cancer.
  • Chronic condition of pain: When the individual suffers from chronic pain in the mouth then it can also be a signal of oral cancer.
  • Lump present in the cheek: There can be occurrence of a hard lump or the individual may experience thickening of the cheek.
  • Presence of white or red patches: The individual may notice white or red patches on the mouth lining, gum or the tongue then it can indicate a sign of oral cancer.Any abnormal looking patch could also turn out to be a symptom of oral cancer. The white patches are termed as leukoplakia and the red patches are called as erythroplakia. These patches are not cancerous but if they are left untreated then it can possibly lead to occurrence of cancer. One should note that a fungal infection known as thrush present in the mouth can also lead to the occurrence of these patches.
  • Soreness in the throat: The individual may experience as if something is stuck in the throat or a painful throat which does not go away. Hence it can indicate a sign of oral cancer.
  • Jaw swelling: Another common symptom of oral cancer is the inflammation of the jaw that can also make the dentures hurt badly.
  • Chewing and swallowing difficulty: Those individuals who suffer from cancer may have difficulty or it would turn out to be impossible in chewing or swallowing the food.Cancer leads to burning or pain sensation while one is trying to chew or swallow food. But do not forget to rule out other medical conditions as well since this difficulty of swallowing can also be caused due to narrowing of the food pipe.
  • Teeth loosening: Presence of oral cancer can also cause the teeth to become loose and also fragile especially in case of an adult.
  • Changes in the voice: The individual suffering from oral cancer can also develop coarseness in their voice that would become difficult to correct it later. The voice may also turn out be husky, quieter or sound as if one is suffering from cold.
  • Loss of weight: Many of the patients suffering from oral cancer also experience drastic drop in their weight even if they are eating constantly in the same amount.

Few of the other symptoms would include:

  • Thickenings or swellings, bumps or lumps, eroded regions or rough areas present on the gums, lips or other regions of the mouth.
  • There is bleeding present in the mouth which cannot be explained as to why it happens.
  • Pain in the ear
  • There is unexplained numbness, loss of feeling or sensation, tenderness or pain in any of the region of the face, neck or the mouth.