Cancer is referred to as the uncontrollable growth of cells which destroys all the surrounding tissues and causes damage to the whole body. So oral cancer is the growth of sore inside the mouth which will not go away. Oral cancer includes the cancers of the cheeks, tongue, lips, hard and soft palate, pharynx or throat, sinuses, and floor of the mouth and this can threaten one’s life if not diagnosed and treated accordingly. It may arise as a single cell in the mouth which multiplies itself into huge numbers and will begin to destroy the surrounding tissues in the mouth.

In 1990, the deaths due to oral cancer added up to 84,000 and increased to an estimated 135,000 in the year 2016.

Symptoms:

The most commonly observed symptom of oral cancer includes:

• A white or red or speckled patches are developed in the mouth.
• Bumps or lumps, thickness or swellings, rough crusts/spots/eroded areas on the gums, lips or other areas in the mouth.
• Bleeding unexpectedly in the mouth is also a symptom of oral cancer.
• Loss of feeling, unexplained numbness, or tenderness/pain in any area of the mouth, neck or face.
• Dramatic weight loss.
• The dentures or teeth are fitted together in another way.
• Ear pain
• A chronic sore throat, change in voice or hoarseness.
• Difficulty in swallowing or chewing, moving the tongue or jaw, and in speaking.
• A feeling or soreness is experienced and you feel something is caught back in the throat.
• Sores in the neck, mouth or face which bleed easily and will not heal within 2 weeks.

Contact your dentist or if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.

Who has a greater chance of getting oral cancer?

It seems that men face twice the risk of developing oral cancer than women and men who are over 50 years will have a higher probability of getting oral cancer. Over 40,000 people in the US have received a diagnosis of Oral cancer in the year 2014. The risk factors involved in the development of oral cancer are:

• Cigarette smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancers than non-smokers.
• Consumption of alcohol excessively will also lead to oral cancer to the people sooner.
• Even smokeless tobacco in the form of chewing tobacco products is 50 times more likely to develop cancer in the mouth.
• The family history of cancer.
• Sun exposure excessively at an early age will also cause oral cancer.

Treatment and prevention

The treatment of oral cancer does not differ from the treatment of other cancers. The cancerous growth is removed with surgery and is followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy in order to destroy all the cancer cells in the mouth.

To prevent them.

• Eat a balanced diet.
• Drinking and smoking or using any kind of smokeless tobacco products must be clearly avoided.
• Exposure to the must is limited especially at a younger age. Overexposure to the sun can cause cancer in the lips especially in the lower lip.