Mouth Cancer Symptoms
What exactly is mouth cancer and what are the areas it affects?
This is the cancer that take place in the mouth (oral cavity) and the fraction of the throat at the back of the mouth (oropharynx). The oral cavity and oropharynx have many parts:
Lips
Lining of your cheeks
Salivary glands (glands that make saliva)
Roof of your mouth (hard palate)
Back of your mouth (soft palate and uvula)
Floor of your mouth (area under the tongue)
Gums and teeth
Tongue
Tonsils
What you need to know about cancer
Cancer begins in cells, the connecting points that make up tissue. Tissues form the organs of the body. Usually cells grow and divide to make fresh cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells are developed when the body does not need any additional cells, and the old cells do not die when they should. These additional cells can form a mass of tissue known as a growth or tumor.
Tumors can either be benign or malignant. Benign Tumors are not cancerous although malignant tumors are extremely severe.
Oral cancer is part of a set of cancers referred to as head and neck cancers. Oral cancer can develop in any part of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Most oral cancers originate in the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Almost all oral cancers begin in the flat cells (squamous cells) that cover the surfaces of the mouth, tongue, and lips. These cancers are known as squamous cell carcinomas.
When oral cancer spreads, it normally moves through the lymphatic system. Cancer cells that enter the lymphatic system are carried along by lymph, a clear, watery fluid. The cancer cells often show up first in nearby lymph nodes in the neck. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the neck, the lungs, and other parts of the body. When this happens, the new tumor has the same kind of strange cells as the initial tumor.
What are the mouth cancer symptoms ?
Regular symptoms of oral cancer include:
1. Patches in the interior of the mouth or on your lips that are white, a combination of red and white, or red.
leukoplakia are the most common. White patches sometimes become malignant.
Erythroleukoplakia are more likely than white patches to become malignant.
Red patches are brightly colored, smooth areas that often become malignant.
1. A sore on your lip or in your mouth that won’t heal
2. Bleeding in your mouth
3. Loose teeth
4. Difficulty or pain when swallowing
5. Difficulty wearing dentures
6. A lump in your neck
7. An earache
If you believe you may have these mouth cancer symptoms you should see a physician or dentists so that any problem can diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
