Mouth cancer refers to uncontrollable growth of cells in any area of the mouth. Gums, cheek, the floor of the mouth, gingiva, and tongue are the most common places that can be affected by mouth cancer. It should be diagnosed and treated early in order to ward off from serious complications. There are certain risk factors that predispose patients to mouth cancer.
Mouth cancer occurs most commonly in men above 40 years of age. Heavy consumption of alcohol, smoking and betel quid increase the likelihood of developing oral cancer. 80% of the victims of mouth cancer are chronic smokers, and around 70% of people who develop mouth cancer are alcoholics. Males are more prone to develop this disease than their female counterparts.
Unfortunately, mouth cancer is highly likely to be diagnosed in an advanced stage, and that is why the survival rate of patients suffering from mouth cancer is very low. Bleeding, sore ulcer, dysphagia, white or red patches, unexplained growth, and painful chewing are some of the main symptoms of this disease.
The patient can be cured entirely if he is diagnosed and managed in an early stage of the disease. Mouth cancer of the lips and tongue have a better prognosis. On the other hand, cancer affecting gingiva, gums, the floor of the mouth and soft palate have a poor outlook. It is highly advised to have a dental checkup once a year as your dentist can locate any abnormal growth or patch that can ultimately transform into malignant cancer.
⇒ Now, we will discuss symptoms of mouth cancer.
1) Sore mouth ulcer
An ulcer is a broken lining of the mouth. Ulcers in mouth cancer are generally non-healing. They are usually single in number and can be easily differentiated from ulcers due to other causes like trauma, stress, anemia and a sharp tooth. If an ulcer lasts for more than three weeks, it is considered an alarming sign, and you should consult a health professional as soon as possible.
Heaving smoking and drinking can predispose you to develop these cancerous lesions. Most of the time, these ulcers develop under the tongue, but they can develop at any place of the mouth. Most of them are painful, but some mouth cancer patients may also report painless mouth ulcers. Rush to your doctor immediately if you detect a prolonged soreness in any area of your mouth. Your doctor can diagnose the condition with proper inspection of the oral cavity. A biopsy might be taken from the suspected lesion to rule out cancer. Surgery is an option to treat an early stage of the disease, but it is combined with radiation to treat an advanced stage of mouth cancer.
2) Unexplained growth, lump or thickened patch
An unexplained growth, lump or a thickened patch can be a major warning symptom of this disease. Due to the repeated exposure to certain risk factors like tobacco and alcohol, the epithelial lining of your mouth undergoes cancerous changes and cells begin to proliferate without any control.
Immediate consultation with a health professional is required if you find out any unusual patch or growth inside of the mouth. The side of the tongue and the floor of the mouth are the most common places for its occurrence. Not all growth or patches inside the mouth are cancerous, and that is why your doctor needs to inspect the lesion properly and take the biopsy for further investigation if needed. In the early stages, this growth can be surgically excised, but if cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body, combination of surgery and radiation is the treatment of choice.
3) Red or white patches inside your mouth
A white patch inside the mouth can point towards many things. One of them is leukoplakia, which is a thickened white patch inside the mouth that cannot be scrapped off and designated as any other disease. Smoking is the most common cause of leukoplakia. It is considered the most common pre-cancerous lesion that can eventually develop into squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth.
Around 50% of mouth cancers develop from these pre-cancerous white or red patches. Size and location of the white patch may vary with each patient, but research reveals that prolonged exposure to risk factors plays an important role in developing these lesions. Leukoplakia can be of two types. Homogenous leukoplakia is less dangerous than non-homogenous leukoplakia. It can be diagnosed with a proper oral examination by your dentist or a physician. He may order a biopsy of the lesion for differentiating it from other causes of white patches, e.g. candidiasis and lichen planus. Studies reveal that 10% of leukoplakic lesions develop into squamous cell carcinomas.
Red and velvety patch inside the mouth that cannot be described as any other lesion is called erythroplakia. It is even more dangerous symptom of mouth cancer than leukoplakia. Risk factors of developing erythroplakia lesions are smoking, alcohol, poor oral hygiene, repeated sun exposure and advanced age. Biopsy from the mouth is taken to further evaluate the histological architecture of the lesion. Surgery and radiation are the two possible treatment for this condition. This lesion has the highest percentage of malignant transformation which makes it extremely dangerous warning symptom. Contact your doctor immediately for a checkup in order to prevent further worsening of the symptoms.
4) Loosening of teeth and poorly fitting dentures
Loosening of teeth and poorly fitting dentures are some of the common symptoms of mouth cancer if it is affecting gums and gingiva. As the tumor has the tendency to invade and destroy the surrounding tissues, loosening of teeth is one of the consequences of mouth cancer. You should consult your odontologist or dentist as early as possible to identify the proper cause of your loosened teeth.
5) Ear pain
Mouth cancer can cause pain in the ear with or without significant hearing loss. Mouth cancer has the tendency to spread to different parts of the body. When it extends to the temporal bone, it can cause aural pain. It normally occurs in the advanced stage of mouth cancer, but you can not possibly ignore this warning sign. Hearing loss, facial paralysis, and dizziness are some of the other symptoms that can arise due to a temporal extension of mouth cancer. X-Ray and CT-scan of the temporal bone are required to give a proper idea of the extent of the disease. Treatment depends upon the stage of cancer.
6) Numbness or tenderness in the mouth
Loss of sensation in your mouth can be one of the symptoms of mouth cancer. You may feel numbness anywhere in the mouth, but gums, lips, and tongue are the most common sites. In medical terms, this feeling of numbness is referred to as paresthesia. It generally occurs when the tumor damages the nerves or blood vessels in the mouth. Loss of sensation can be throughout the mouth or in patches. You must consult your doctor as soon as possible to diagnose the proper cause of the loss of sensation in different parts of the mouth.
7) Tongue pain
Tongue pain primarily occurs in the tongue cancer which is one of the types of mouth cancer. Patches and ulcers on the tongue occur before their transformation into tongue cancer. Pain is the main tell-tale sign of this disease. The anterior two-thirds of the tongue is the major site of cancer. Cancer can also arise from the posterior one-third(base) of the tongue and can be diagnosed from its extension to the lymph nodes of the neck. Human papilloma virus is one of the most common causes of tongue cancer. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can be used to treat the condition depending upon the stages of disease. An immediate checkup from the doctor is necessary under such circumstances to prevent fatal complications. X-Ray, CT-scan, and MRI can be used to get a detailed picture of the extent of the disease so that a proper plan of treatment can be devised for the patient.
8) Jaw pain or stiffness
Jaw pain can also occur in mouth cancer. Trouble moving your jaw can be due to the involvement of the temporomandibular joint by the tumor. This symptom can seriously affect the quality of life of the patient. If you find any trouble with chewing and speaking, you should consult your doctor immediately for further help. Ignorance of these symptoms can make things worse for your health. In advanced stage of mouth cancer, tumor invades the bone, and it gets almost impossible to treat the disease.
9) Painful chewing
Painful chewing of food is very troublesome for the patient and can have severe implications on the patient’s health. Avoidance of oral intake of food due to severe pain causes weight loss and further debilitation of the patient. Rush to the doctor immediately if you are suffering from this warning sign to prevent further complications.
10) Bleeding in the mouth
Bleeding can occur due to mouth sores or low platelet count. Unexplained bleeding in the mouth is a genuine warning sign of mouth cancer. You should rush to the hospital if the bleeding continues for more than half an hour or you start feeling dizzy. Bleeding can occur due to low platelet count in patients receiving treatment for mouth cancer, e.g. radiations. Your doctor may order a complete blood report to evaluate your condition further.
11) Difficulty in swallowing
Difficulty in swallowing food is called dysphagia. Lesions of the tongue, soft palate, and hard palate are most commonly associated with dysphagia. Dysphagia due to mouth cancer is mainly due to destruction of normal tissue that is involved in the process of swallowing food. It can also be due to the damage to the nerves supplying the muscles involved in swallowing. Complications of dysphagia involve aspiration of food contents, dehydration, and malnutrition. Consult an E.N.T. specialist as early as possible to evaluate your condition properly and prevent further complications.
12) Sore throat
Sore throat is one of the major warning symptom of mouth cancer. It can occur due to damage to the mucosal lining of the throat or pharynx. The patient may feel a foreign body inside his throat. Difficulty in swallowing of food and burning sensation in the throat are some other warning signs that accompany a sore throat. Apart from this, chemotherapy and radiations to treat mouth cancer can also cause a severe sore throat. Consult your doctor and dietician for proper evaluation of your condition. X-Ray and CT-scan can provide great help to evaluate the cause of a sore throat.
13) Weight loss
Weight loss occurs in all types of cancer. Mouth cancer can also cause severe weight loss due to many causes. Lesion in the mouth, sore ulcers, dysphagia and painful chewing of food can contribute towards malnutrition of the patient. Most of the mouth cancers are squamous cell carcinomas occurring in men with a low socioeconomic condition. Weight loss of more than 10 pounds is one of the first signs of mouth cancer. Daily fatigue, loss of energy and weakness are other symptoms that accompany weight loss. More than 90% of the patient of mouth cancer develop severe weight loss and cachexia. If you are suffering from unexplained weight loss accompanied by some of the symptoms mentioned above, it is inevitable to consult your doctor immediately. It is also wise to give a visit to a registered dietician or nutritionist to get nutrition counseling.
Conclusion
Mouth cancer is 10th most common cancer in the world. It mostly affects men above the age of 40 years. Gums, cheek, the floor of the mouth, gingiva, and tongue are major sites affected by mouth cancer. Major risk factors of the disease are heavy alcohol intake, chronic smoking and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The most significant warning symptoms are dysphagia, unexplained bleeding from the mouth, sore ulcers in the mouth, painful chewing, pain in the ears, white or red thickened patches, tongue pain, and weight loss. Leukoplakia and erythroplakia are major pre-cancerous lesions of mouth cancer. Consult your doctor immediately after observing any of these warning symptoms. Earlier diagnosis of the disease can improve chances of survival of the patient. Biopsy is taken from the suspected lesion to evaluate it under the microscope. Surgery and radiotherapy are major treatment options depending upon the stage of cancer.