Who gets it? We dive into the…. Oral cancer develops in your mouth or throat and can be confused for other conditions. Receiving an oral cancer diagnosis can be confusing and scary…. A gum biopsy is a procedure that removes gum tissue for analysis in a laboratory. Most people experience bleeding from the tongue from time to time.
Read more to learn whether your bleeding tongue is worthy of a doctor's visit. Salivary gland cancer is a rare type of cancer that develops in the glands and ducts that supply saliva to your mouth and throat. Learn more about…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Pictures Single patch Red and white patches Red patches White patches Tongue sores Canker sores Your dentist About oral cancer An estimated 49, people will be diagnosed with oral cavity cancer or oropharyngeal cancer in , according to the American Cancer Society. Oral cancer can affect any of the working parts of your mouth or oral cavity, which include the: lips tissue that lines lips and cheeks teeth front two-thirds of the tongue the back third of the tongue, or base, is considered part of the oropharynx, or throat gums area of the mouth underneath the tongue, called the floor roof of the mouth When should you worry about a bump, sore, or swelling in your mouth?
Pictures of oral cancer. A patch of trouble. Mixed red and white patches. Red patches. White patches. Sores on your tongue. Canker sores: Painful, but not dangerous. Make friends with your dentist. Lip Cancer. Symptoms and Treatments of Oral Cancer. Read this next. Oral Cancers. Medically reviewed by Yamini Ranchod, Ph. Mouth cancer is not common. It is estimated that new cases will be diagnosed in Australia in The main risk factors for most mouth cancers are tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Other risk factors can include:. Signs of mouth cancer are often first detected by your dentist. Your doctor or dentist is likely to examine your mouth, throat, tongue, cheeks, ears and eyes.
You may also be referred to a specialist for additional tests, such as:. In an endoscopy , a flexible tube endoscope is used to examine the nose, sinuses, larynx voice box and pharynx throat. A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue which is sent to a pathologist to determine if cancer cells are present. X-rays of the head and neck can be used to see if cancer cells are present in the jaw, lungs or chest. After a diagnosis of a mouth cancer you may be experiencing a range of emotions like fear, anxiety, confusion and uncertainty.
There is also a lot of information to take in which can leave you overwhelmed. Talk to your doctor about different treatment options are available to you, what the possible side effects are and any risks and benefits. Take your time — it is up to you how involved you want to be in decisions about your treatment. Treatment for mouth cancer depends on the type of cancer, where it is located and how far it has spread. Staging helps your doctor decide on the best treatment options for you.
A common treatment for mouth cancers is surgery to remove the tumour, particularly in early-stage cancer. The extent of surgery may depend on the size of the tumour and how far the cancer has spread. Surrounding tissue and lymph nodes may also be removed.
Radiation therapy also known as radiotherapy can be used on its own to treat some small mouth cancers. Radiation therapy can also be used in combination with chemotherapy for more advanced cancers. Your doctor may also recommend radiation therapy after surgery.
Or they might arrange for you to have a general anaesthetic to take the biopsy. An ultrasound scan of the neck uses soundwaves to produce a picture of your neck and lymph nodes on a computer screen. An FNA is a simple test that you can have as an outpatient.
You may have this test if the lymph nodes in your neck do not feel or look normal on a scan. It is done to see whether there are any cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Waiting for test results can be a difficult time, we have more information that can help.
A CT scan takes a series of x-rays, which build up a three-dimensional picture of the inside of your body. An MRI scan uses magnetism to build up a detailed picture of areas of your body. The results of your tests helps your doctors find out more about the size and position of the cancer and whether it has spread. This is called staging. A doctor decides the grade of the cancer by how the cancer cells look under the microscope. This gives an idea of how quickly the cancer might grow or spread.
We have general information about staging and grading of head and neck cancers. Your doctor or specialist nurse can give you more information. A team of specialists will meet to discuss the best possible treatment for you. This is called a multidisciplinary team MDT. Your cancer doctor or specialist nurse will explain the different treatments and their side effects. They will also talk to you about things to consider when making treatment decisions.
Surgery may be used to remove the cancer or lymph nodes in the neck. Surgery is often the only treatment needed to remove an early-stage mouth cancer.
Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to destroy the cancer cells, while doing as little harm as possible to normal cells. It can be used on its own, but is often given in combination with chemotherapy. This is called chemoradiation. Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer cytotoxic drugs to destroy cancer cells. The chemotherapy drugs most often used to treat mouth cancer are cisplatin and fluorouracil 5FU. Chemoradiation is when you have chemotherapy and radiotherapy together.
Chemotherapy can make the cancer cells more sensitive to radiotherapy treatment. Targeted therapy drugs work by targeting something in or around the cancer cell that is helping it grow and survive. Cetuximab is the most commonly used targeted therapy to treat mouth cancer. You may have some treatments as part of a clinical trial. You have regular follow-up appointments after treatment. You may also have regular follow-up appointments with a speech and language therapist SLT , dietitian, restorative dentist and dental hygienist.
If you have any problems or notice new symptoms between appointments, let your doctor know as soon as possible. Head and neck cancer and its treatment can sometimes affect your sex life.
Your doctor or nurse can explain what to expect. There are often things that can help if you have problems. Some cancer treatments can also affect whether you can get pregnant or make someone pregnant.
If you are worried about this, it is important to talk with your doctor before you start treatment. Some side effects that develop during treatment may take a long time to improve, or may sometimes become permanent. These are called long-term effects. Other effects can develop months or even years after treatment has finished.
These are known as late effects. We have more information about long-term and late effects of head and neck cancer treatment.
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