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Additional names
This group contains additional names: - Mouth Cancer
General
Oral cancer characterizes a group of malignancies, including lip cancer, tongue cancer, floor of mouth cancer, and more. The leading cause of oral cancer is tobacco smoking and alcohol use. People who use tobacco in cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco or have a high alcohol intake are at elevated risk. They are at particularly high risk if they use both tobacco and alcohol. Other risk factors include HPV infection and sun exposure to the lips area.
9 people with Oral Cancer
Learn from others who are experiencing Oral Cancer.
Signs & symptoms
Symptoms of oral cancer vary depending on the area of the tumor and may include: - Thin white patches in the mouth area. - A sense of a bulge on the lip, tongue, or in the mouth. - Ulcers on the lips, tongue, or mouth. - Difficulty swallowing or eating. - Sore throat. - Cough or hoarse voice.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made through questioning and investigating medical history, list of prescribed and over-the-counter medications. Physical examination of the oral cavity, chest, stomach, and maybe other systems to provide additional information and exclude other diseases. If a diagnosis of oral cancer is established, more tests would be conducted to determine the stage of the disease (stages I to IV). Another possible test includes: - Endoscopy – a procedure that allows looking at the throat and stomach from the inside, and taking a biopsy, using a special camera inserted through the mouth. - Biopsy – includes the insertion of a needle to the diseased area and extraction of a small sample for microscopic inspection. - CT, MRI, or PET-scan – to look for metastases and define the size of the lesion. - Blood testing.
Treatment
The rate of curability of cancers of the lip and oral cavity varies depending on the stage and specific area of the tumor, and may consist of the following: - Surgery. - Radiation therapy - a treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. - A combination of the above. Early cancers (stage I and stage II) of the lip and oral cavity are highly curable by surgery or radiation therapy. Advanced cancers (stage III and stage IV) of the lip and oral cavity represent more challenges for treatment, and most will require treatment by a combination of surgery and radiation therapy.
Note
☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike
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sorry to hear! Much love🙏🙏🙏 This how it went for me 12 yrs ago....gallbladder(taken) then hernia mesh popped....then oops we found cancer(Pancras) after 2 yrs of misdiagnosis....then more You're fat AND woman...that's the problem...in & out hospital...treat&street! Then paramedics took me from home because I was weak from constant diarrhea/ vomiting (that continued to rip umbilical hernia up to side of ribs. Poof ...more cancer!...liver! Biopsy gave me few months.(Still here....nobody tells you about surviving) Then...I had a peptic ulcer that was hemorrhaging....glaucoma....diabetes...can**cer in** spleen/rib area....and not to mention the plethora of other small thing like sciatica...feet swelling....other tag along things....like JEEZE! DON'T WE HAVE ENOUGH! WE'RE DONE!
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