Oral cancer
Signs that can indicate cancer of the lips or mouth include:
An existing wound lasts two weeks or more.
Ulcer on the tongue or on the gums / cheeks / palate / floor of the mouth.
Bleeding gums.
Swelling in the area of the cheeks, tongue, palate or lips.
Unsuitable dentures.
Difficulty swallowing.
sore throat.
Although oral cancer can appear for no reason, there are risk factors for the disease that include smoking, high alcohol consumption, excessive exposure of the lips to the sun, the papilloma virus, and low immune system resistance.
When there is a suspicion of a malignant tumor in the mouth, it is recommended to perform a biopsy (a short operation performed under local anesthesia in which some tissue is removed for examination under a microscope).
If the lesion is diagnosed as pre- malignant - treatment will include periodic check-ups and repeat biopsies if necessary. A wound diagnosed as malignant will require surgical treatment to remove the tumor - taking into account its size, location, and when there is a concern that it has progressed towards the lymph nodes, lymph nodes from certain areas of the neck will also be recommended.
When necessary, the resection area can be restored by muscle and / or bone from other places in the body - or by using special dentures that are adapted to complete the defect.
At the end of the recovery from the surgery, a reassessment will be performed, and a decision will be made regarding the need for complementary treatment by radiation (radiotherapy).
This treatment allows you to kill cancer cells that may remain in the body after surgery. It is very important to make sure that there is no dental disease before starting the complementary treatment, as after radiation treatment there is difficulty in performing dental treatments and at the same time there is a decrease in the amount of saliva that causes an increase in dental disease.
Any wound in the oral cavity or lips that has not healed for two weeks must be examined as soon as possible by a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
In addition to radiation therapy, there are also biologic and chemotherapeutic drugs that are given in some cases for malignant tumors in the oral cavity.
In order to treat the disease, and in an effort to restore as much as possible the function of the speech and chewing system, oral cancer treatment combines therapists from various fields including dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial rehabilitation, oncology, dental, communication clinician, physiotherapist, social worker. Dietitian and more.
If you have been diagnosed with any wound in the oral or lip cavity that has not healed for two weeks it is mandatory that you should be examined as soon as possible by a specialist in oral face and jaw surgery.