Mouth cancer: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Meaning of Mouth Cancer 

The uncontrollable growth of anomalous and tumor in the oral cavity is what causes mouth cancer. It mostly occurs in the tongue, but it can take place in any of the other parts of the mouth – cheek lining, gums, floor and roof of the mouth, inner and outer lips. 

Mouth cancer can have any of the following histologic types:

a) Adenocarcinoma: from the salivary gland

b) Lymphoma: from the tonsils or other lymphoid tissues

c) Melanoma: from the pigment-producing cells present in the mucous of the oral cavity

d) Squamous cell carcinoma: from the lining of the mouth and lips

e) Kaposi’s sarcoma: possibly from any part of the upper surface of the mouth cells

Symptoms of Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer symptoms are difficult to spot initially. It is commonly mistaken with cough and cold or other throat or dental problems. However, if they persist, a thorough checkup for malignancy is suggested. 

- Constant pain in the jawline, tongue, gums or in general within the mouth

- The recurring problem of mouth and tongue ulcers 

- White or red patches in the palate, floor or under the tongue of the mouth

- Pain while chewing or swallowing food

- A feeling of a sore throat over an extended period that does not seem to heal

- Lumps or nodular formations along the lining of the mouth

- Hoarse voice or difficulty in talking

Diagnosis of Mouth Cancer

First step: Your physician or dentist will perform a preliminary checkup of your oral cavity to see if there is any anomaly they can spot. This is usually accompanied by a brush biopsy of the affected tissues, where samples are brushed off painlessly into a collection tray for the test.

Second step: An X-ray or CT scan to see how widespread the malignant tumor is in the mouth.

Third step: An MRI Scan of full head and neck to determine the stage and other details about the tumor, including an accurate image of the spread.

Fourth step: A PET scan to see if cancer has spread to the glands and lymph nodes near the head and neck region. 

Fifth Step: An endoscopy to have proper imaging of the dental structure, nasal passages, throat, windpipe, sinus, trachea, pharynx, and larynx. 

Causes of Mouth Cancer

- Continuous and habitual chewing and consumption of tobacco

- Smoking cigarettes, pipes, cannabis joint, snuff and other nicotine-based products

- Excessive alcohol abuse

- Excessive exposure to direct sunlight or heavy industrial lights

- chewing of betel nuts, a popular habit in South Asia

- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection – an STD

- Frequent acid reflux

- Genetic history of cancer 

- Weak immune system

Prevention of Mouth Cancer

Certain practices can reduce the chances of mouth cancer significantly, especially if one has a family history of the disease.

- Quit smoking and tobacco

- Reduce or stop consumption of alcohol

- Protect the mouth from over-exposure to sun and particles like asbestos, formaldehyde and acidic components. This is important for those working in factory or construction sites.

- Avoiding excessive junk and heavily saturated and processed food

Treatment of Mouth Cancer

Mouth Cancer in its early stages can be treated with the end result as cure but there are always risks of recurrence. One should always show up for follow up diagnosis following the treatment procedures to keep it under check. 

a) Surgery: Making an incision in the mouth, jaw or near the throat, the tissues affected by tumor are taken out via surgery. In certain severe cases, a larger portion of the mouth might have to be taken out and it changes the facial structure. In such cases, another surgery might be needed to reconstruct it back with grafting of muscles or bones or dental implants.

b) Radiation therapy: Radiation is a common and well-received treatment for mouth cancer. The high energy X-ray beams damage the DNA inside the cancerous cells, destroying their ability to multiply. External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) is used for advanced stages where the rays are directly pointed from outside, while Brachytherapy used for initial stages, places radioactive particles which are safe for healthy cells but cancels out the malignant cells inside.

c) Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves very strong medicines to kill the bad cells for the critical cases, especially for recurring ones. It is effective on cancerous cells, but damages some of the adjacent healthy ones as well, along with problems like nausea and vomiting. 

d) Targeted drug therapy: This is usually an associate treatment along with radiation or chemo. The monoclonal antibody drugs change the molecular structure of the cancerous cells and prevent them from multiplying. 

Complications/Risks

The treatments of mouth cancer almost always come with minor or major post-treatment complications; the degree depends on the treatment and criticalness of the condition. 

- Changed facial structure

- Difficulty in chewing, swallowing or talking

- Tooth decay and sore, bleeding gums

- Change in how things taste in the mouth

-Thyroid gland problems, though rare

Home remedies of Mouth Cancer

a) Leafy vegetables: They have anticancer properties and prevent spread and recurrence of the tumor cells.

b) Raspberry juice: It is good for all kinds of cancer to drink raspberry juice every day.

c) Green Tea: The antioxidants in green tea fight the free radicals which can trigger the anomaly in the cells that cause cancer. 

d) Avocados: The vitamin C in avocados kills the cells in the pre-cancer stage so that they cannot spread. 

Did you know(trivia)

- Working in factories and sites near harmful chemicals can cause the mouth (or other face and neck) cancer.

- Mouth cancer is divided on the TNM system (T – tumor size, N – spreading to lymph nodes, M – spreading to the other body parts)