What is Oral Cancer?
Our dentist in Burbank Adj. defines oral cancer as a very common form of cancer
characterized by an uncontrollable growth of cells that invade your oral tissues
or cavities and can be critical for any person’s life if not diagnosed and treated
in early stages.
Oral cancer is part of a group of cancers called head and neck cancers. It can appear
in any part of your mouth or throat, but most begin in the tongue, mouth’s floor
and/or soft palate. This disease can affect anyone, but the risk of getting oral
cancer is higher if you are male, over age 40, and use tobacco, alcohol or have
a history of head or neck cancer.
Oral Cancer Symptoms
- White and/or red patches in your mouth or lips
- A mouth or lip sore or blister that won't heal (longer than 2 weeks)
- Mouth bleeding
- Loose teeth or change in the way they fit together
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing
- A lump in your neck
- Frequent or persistent earaches
How to Prevent Oral Cancer
Follow these tips in order to maintain a healthy mouth, proper dental hygiene, and
prevent oral cancer:
- Avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol use.
- Regular dental check-ups with careful examination.
- Finding and removing white and red spots before they become cancer.
- Seeing your dentist for oral cancer screenings.
Oral cancer is painless in its early stages, so if you detect any of these early
warning signs, call our Dentist located in Burbank Adj. immediately.
How dangerous is Oral Cancer?
In the United States approximately 35,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed
each year, according to the American Cancer Society. About 25% of the affected people
will die of the disease. Our Burbank dentist adds; "The stage at which oral
cancer is diagnosed is vital to the disease’s course; when detected at its earliest
stage, it’s easier to treat and cure it; when detected late, only 50% of those diagnosed
will survive more than five years".
Oral Cancer Treatment
The first thing we need to know is the stage of your disease to plan the best treatment.
This may require lab tests, such as; an endoscopy, Dental x-rays, Chest x-rays,
CT scan or an MRI. The choice of treatment depends mainly on your general health,
location of the tumor, size of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread.
We may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral yourself. Specialists
who treat oral cancer include oral and maxillofacial surgeons, otolaryngologists
(ear, nose, and throat doctors), medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and
plastic surgeons.
Oral cancer treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Some
patients have a combination of treatments
Surgery: Surgery is a very common
treatment for oral cancer. The tumor in the mouth or throat is removed; sometimes
the surgeon also removes lymph nodes in the neck and/or other tissues in the mouth
and neck. Patients may have surgery alone or in combination with radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy: Radiotherapy
is a type of local therapy which affects cells only in the treated area; it uses
high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It is used alone for small tumors or for
patients who cannot have surgery. It may be used before surgery to kill cancer cells
and/or shrink the tumor. It also may be used after surgery to destroy cancer cells
that may remain in the area.
Dentists use two types of radiation therapy to treat oral cancer: External radiation
(the radiation comes from a machine) or internal/implant radiation (the radiation
comes from radioactive material placed in seeds, needles, or thin plastic tubes
put directly in the tissue)
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses
anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. It enters the bloodstream and can affect
cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is usually applied by injection,
which may be given in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor's office,
or at home.
At Pacific Dental Care, we have the skills to make sure that early signs of cancer
are identified. By detecting the early signs and visiting us regularly, we can fight
and win the battle against oral cancer together at our dental office in Burbank,
CA.
For more information call us at (818) 547-4949
Click Here to Schedule an Appointment
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