Oral cancer refers to a type of malignant tumor that occurs in the oral cavity. Oral cancer usually occurs in the tongue, gums, cheeks, palate, floor of the mouth and lips. The causes of its occurrence are related to living habits, hobbies and viral infections. Early detection, early diagnosis and early surgical treatment are the main means to cure oral cancer.
The main causative factors for the occurrence of oral cancer
1.Tobacco and alcohol stimulation
It is almost recognized that tobacco and alcohol cause cancer, especially oral cancer, oropharyngeal cancer and laryngeal cancer. Tobacco and alcohol stimulate oral mucosa, causing mucosal damage and abnormal epithelial proliferation, which will lead to oral cancer over time.
2.Life habits such as betel nut chewing
Long-term chewing of betel nut and other stimulating substances will cause abnormal proliferation of oral mucosa epithelium, which will also induce oral cancer over time.
3.Chronic stimulation
Sharp tooth tips, tooth stubs and poor quality dentures in the oral cavity can become cancerous after long-term stimulation, especially in the tongue and buccal mucosa. Poor oral hygiene and other relationships are often accompanied by chronic inflammation, and long-term chronic inflammatory stimulation, combined with mechanical damage, can be a factor for the occurrence of cancer.
4. Oral infection with human papilloma virus is also one of the triggers for the occurrence of oral cancer.
What are the manifestations of early oral cancer?
1. New organisms appear in the oral and maxillofacial area, with granular surface, vegetable-like or early ulceration and pain.
2.Unexplained pain and numbness in tongue and cheek.
3.Unexplained pain of teeth, rapid loosening and loss, etc.
4.The ulcers in the mouth or face do not heal after two weeks.
5.White or red plaques and infiltrated lumps of oral mucosa that cannot be explained.
Pay attention to early oral cancer
In the early stage, there may be no obvious symptoms, sometimes it is easily misdiagnosed as chronic inflammation, ulcer disease, dental disease or granulation tissue proliferation, etc. And when the symptoms are obvious, the cancer is mostly in the middle or late stage, which brings difficulties to the root treatment. Therefore, it is very important to recognize the early symptoms and pre-cancerous manifestations of oral malignant tumors for prevention and early diagnosis and treatment, generally speaking, those who have the following symptoms must be highly alert.
1.Sudden loosening or loss of teeth, poor bite when chewing food, discomfort of dentures for those who have dentures, numbness and pain in the mouth and pharynx, which are not improved by general anti-inflammatory and symptomatic treatment.
2, the oral mucosa appears long-term unhealed ulcers, and the mucosa pale, lose luster, similar to white spots, fibrous sclerosis under the mucosa occurs.
3.The appearance of limited lip mucosa thickening or scaling, accompanied by gray-white keratinized spots.
4.The oral mucosa suddenly appears erythema, edema, erosion, white-spotted chapped, flat moss, bulging or granular granules, although there is no obvious discomfort, but after treatment for 2-4 weeks instead of healing, but spread and increase.
5.Some bulges in the oral cavity are benign lesions, such as papilloma, denture stimulation-induced hyperplasia, septic granuloma, etc., but a few of them may evolve into squamous cell carcinoma, which should also be alerted.
6.Sudden appearance of restricted tongue movement, slurred speech, pain in the pharynx when speaking and swallowing.
7.Suddenly, there is an increase in saliva secretion, blood in the nose, choking sensation in swallowing, swollen lumps and lymph nodes in the jaw and face, and they persist or even get worse gradually.
8.Multiple unexplained bleeding in the oral cavity and difficulty in opening and closing the jaws.
What are the precancerous lesions of oral cancer?
Precancerous lesions refer to independent diseases that can become cancerous under the action of certain factors. The pre-cancerous diseases related to oral cancer mainly include the following.
1.White spots
White spots of oral mucosa are recognized as precancerous lesions, which may appear as flat white lesions or wrinkled paper-like, granular or even ulcerated. It occurs in the buccal and lip mucosa. The cancer rate of oral mucosal leukoplakia can be more than 5%.
2.Erythema
Oral mucosal erythema has been regarded as a disease with higher cancer rate than white spots in recent years. Although the incidence of erythema is much lower than that of leukoplakia, its risk is not negligible, and the cancer rate is as high as 90%. The tongue, floor of the mouth and the side of the pharynx are considered high risk areas for erythema.
3.Plaqueous lichen planus
Lichen planus is a common oral mucosal disease, and its cancer rate is about 1%, with vesicular type, atrophic type and plaque type being more prone to malignant transformation, and the most common site is buccal mucosa.
4. Oral submucosal fibrous lesions
Oral submucosal fibrous lesions are thought to be related to betel nut chewing, and 1/3 of them can eventually develop into cancer. The main manifestations are burning pain when eating, dry mouth and atrophy of oral mucosa. It is commonly found on both sides of the buccal mucosa and lips and tongue.
How to prevent oral cancer?
1.Actively participate in the cancer prevention propaganda of oral cancer, understand the knowledge of oral cancer prevention, and recognize the danger of oral cancer.
2.Ensure nutrition and maintain oral hygiene. Pay attention to the balance of nutrition, quit smoking and drinking, treat the residual roots and crowns in time, and remove the bad stimulus.
3.Actively deal with and treat pre-cancerous diseases.
4.Do not avoid the disease and seek medical treatment as early as possible, and strive to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of cancer, and adhere to regular examination.
What should be done when oral cancer is found?
Early detection, early diagnosis and early surgical treatment are the main means to cure oral cancer. If oral cancer is found or suspected, one should go to the stomatology department or oral and maxillofacial surgery department of a large secondary or tertiary hospital as early as possible. With the guidance of a specialist, the 5-year survival rate of early oral cancer can reach more than 60% with standardized treatment.