Oral cancer is considered to be any cancer that is located in the oral cavity, including the lips, tongue and throat. It is usually manifested as sores on the tissue that don’t disappear naturally after a couple of weeks and can be life threatening if not caught early enough.
The most common symptoms of oral cancer are small swellings, lumps or sore spots on the lips or soft tissue of the mouth. These spots can often become velvety red, white or speckled spots after some time and do not disappear naturally. There are a number of other symptoms of oral cancer including unexplained bleeding of the gums, numbness or pain in the face or neck or difficulty chewing or swallowing. If you notice any of these symptoms or anything else that is not normal in your mouth, then you should make an appointment with a Leeds dentist immediately.
Oral cancer can affect anybody at any time but there are some factors that make certain people more at risk than others. Men are twice as likely to have oral cancer as women and this disparity increases after the age of 50. Smokers or users of any kind of tobacco product are a massive six times more likely to develop oral cancer. Alcohol consumption also has strong links to oral cancer, with similar statistics to tobacco use among heavy drinkers. Other risk factors include excessive sun exposure and a family history of the condition.
Oral cancer is more often than not diagnosed by your dentist so it is important to keep up regular check ups. A dentist will usually carry out a check for oral cancer as part of any routine check up and can take a swab biopsy of any suspicious looking lumps or swelling. If the spots are particularly dangerous looking, the dentist can perform a scalpel biopsy under a local anaesthetic. Oral cancers are usually treated with the removal of the growth and then radiotherapy or chemotherapy depending on the nature of the cancer.
