by Priya Kanwar

Created on: February 13, 2009

Definition:

Oral Cancer can be defined as an abnormal, malignant growth of tissue in the lip, mouth and oropharynx. Oral tumors can develop anywhere in the oral cavity and can be benign (non-cancerous), precancerous (potential to become cancerous), and malignant (cancerous).

Statistics for Oral Cancer:

Approximately 35,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with Oral Cancer. India has one of the highest incidences of Oral Cancer in the world. The incidence of Oral cancer is highest of all cancers amongst men (12%) as compared to women (8%). See

Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race and Gender.

Most Oral Cancers can be related to the excessive use of tobacco and or alcohol. In India, Oral Cancer has been linked to the use of betel nut chewing, ciggarette or bidi smoking and the use of tobacco in products like Gutka etc.

Treatment of Oral Cancer:

There are many factors that need to be established before any treatment can be initiated. The doctor first needs to arrive at the correct diagnosis of the condition with the help of various investigations like dental x-rays, chest x-rays, biopsy (if recommended), CT Scan, MRI etc. Apart from the age and the general health of the patient, the extent of treatment for Oral Cancer will also depend upon the location, size, type, extent of the tumor and the stage of the disease. Determination of the stage of cancer in the lip or oral cavity is important in order to plan the best course of treatment.

The treatment of Oral Cancer may involve surgery, radiation or a combination of both, and or chemotherapy. It is recommended that the patient should get a complete dental examination before any treatment is carried out. Cancer treatment makes the mouth sensitive to infection and so it is advisable to get all the fillings, extractions and prosthesis work done prior to any surgical or radiation therapy. A thorough prophylaxis, or cleaning should be done as well. Taking care of the oral health before any other procedure ensures minimal post-therapeutic complications.

Treatment of Oral Cancers is a multi-disciplinary approach that involves the efforts of surgeons, radiation oncologists, chemotherapy oncologists, dental practitioners, nutritionists, and rehabilitation and restorative specialists. You can read more about radiation therapy, surgery chemotherapy.

Surgery:

Surgery is the usual treatment undertaken to remove tumors from the mouth in patients with Oral Cancer. The different surgical techniques that are used to remove specific

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