Recent studies show that although the death rate for many types of cancer has decreased, this rate has increased in oral cancer. However, oral cancer is one of the easiest diseases to treat if diagnosed early. The disease can be caught at an early stage with the intraoral cancer screening that your dentist will do once a year.
Who is at risk of oral cancer?
Many people are surprised to hear that one person dies from oral cancer every hour. This type of cancer; It is much more deadly than neck, brain, ovarian and skin cancer. In recent studies, although the death rate in many types of cancer has decreased, it has been observed that this rate has increased in oral cancers. We already knew that early detection methods such as Pap smears, PSA tests and mammography are beneficial in reducing the rates of uterine, prostate and breast cancers. Since it has been learned that oral cancers are one of the easiest diseases to treat if diagnosed early, it has become very important for your dentist to see you regularly and carefully monitor the problems in your mouth. If the lesions that are likely to turn into cancer or mouth cancer are caught in the early period, the treatment is much easier, the spread can be prevented, and the success rate is more than 82 percent. With the innovations brought by technology, it has increased the use of intraoral scanning devices as well as early diagnosis examination and increased the success rate.
There are two types of lesions that are suspected or likely to develop into cancer: white lesions (leukoplakias) and red lesions (erythroplakias). Red lesions are much less common, but they have a much higher risk of developing into cancer. If the red or white lesion does not resolve spontaneously within 2 weeks, it should be re-evaluated and a biopsy should be taken for a definitive diagnosis.
Other symptoms of oral cancers:
• Difficulty in chewing and swallowing
• Tongue numbness
• Hoarseness
• Pain in the ear
• Difficulty in tongue or jaw movements
• Lumpy protrusions or thinning in the soft tissues of the mouth
If any of these symptoms are observed for more than two weeks, examination and necessary laboratory tests must be performed.
What are the risk factors for oral cancers?
• Tobacco and alcohol use
• Long exposure to the sun (especially in lip cancer)
• Age (The risk of oral cancer increases with age)
• Gender (The risk of being seen in men is twice that of women)
• Race (Black race has twice the risk of developing cancer compared to white race)
What should be done to detect mouth cancer?
Early detection of oral cancers is very important. Oral cancers spread very quickly, with only half of the cases surviving 5 years after diagnosis. Your dentist should screen for oral cancer at least once a year. Scanning should include the entire face, lips, head and neck, inner lips, gums, inner cheeks, floor of the mouth, surfaces of the tongue and palate. New types of oral cancer examinations; It also includes fluorescent lights and special mouthwashes and dyes.