What is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a type of cancer that affects the mouth. It can look like a simple sore or white spot on your lips or inside your mouth. However, if these sores don't heal or go away after a couple of weeks, they might be signs of something more serious, like oral cancer.

Oral cancer can spread from the mouth to other areas of the head and neck if not treated. With early treatment, many people with oral cancer live for five years or more after their diagnosis. Around 63% of people diagnosed with oral cancer are still alive five years later.

Oral cancer can affect both the mouth and the oropharynx, which is the area at the back of the throat. The oropharynx includes the roof of your mouth, the back of your tongue, and part of the throat that you can see when you open your mouth wide.

What Causes Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer starts when the DNA in the cells of your mouth changes. DNA tells cells how to grow and divide. Sometimes, DNA changes (mutations) tell the cells to keep growing and dividing when they shouldn't. This can cause a buildup of abnormal cells that form a tumor.

Oral cancer usually starts in the squamous cells, which are the flat, thin cells that line the inside of your mouth and lips. These cancers are called squamous cell carcinomas, and they are the most common type of mouth cancer.

Doctors don’t fully understand what causes these DNA changes, but there are some factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.

Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

Look out for these 7 warning signs that might mean you have oral cancer:

• Sore that doesn’t heal: You have a sore on your lip or inside your mouth that bleeds easily and doesn’t heal within two weeks.
• Rough or crusty spots: You might notice rough, hard, or crusty areas on your lips, gums, or inside your mouth.
• Unexplained bleeding: You have areas in your mouth that bleed for no obvious reason.
• Pain or numbness: You might feel numbness, pain, or tenderness in your face, neck, or mouth that doesn’t go away.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing: You might have trouble chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw or tongue.
• Earache: A constant earache that won’t go away could also be a sign of oral cancer.
• Bad breath: You might have bad breath that doesn’t improve, even after brushing your teeth.

How is Oral Cancer Diagnosed?

At Signature Smiles, we have specialists who can check for signs of oral cancer during your first visit. If needed, we may do some tests or refer you to a specialist, such as an oral surgeon or a head and neck doctor, also called an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist.

Some of the tests we may use include:

Available Tests Include:

• Physical exam: We will examine your mouth and neck carefully to look for signs of cancer. We also check for possible pre-cancer signs.
• Biopsy: A biopsy involves taking a small sample of tissue from the area in question. The sample is then examined in a lab to check for cancer cells.
• Incisional biopsy: In some cases, the doctor might remove a small piece of tissue from the mouth to check for cancer.
• PET scan: A PET scan helps doctors find out if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

By doing these tests, doctors can figure out what stage the cancer is in, which helps plan the best treatment. A PET scan also helps doctors see if the cancer has spread beyond the mouth.