”Betel nut on the tall tree, whoever climbs it first will taste it first”. This is a familiar Taiwanese love song. Nowadays, betel nut is not only a special food in Taiwan, but also popular in Hunan, Hainan, Fujian and other places. It is said that chewing betel nut can refresh the mouth, refresh the brain, and is loved by men. However, long-term betel nut chewing can cause submucosal fibrosis (mouth opening), which is a direct cause of oral cancer. Long-term betel nut chewing oral mucosa becomes “rubber” Betel nut is a very special food, this olive-like fruit, not only in Taiwan, now in Hunan, Fujian, Hainan and other places are also more common, many men chew betel nut for fun all day, as addictive as smoking. Why do they love to chew betel nut? This comes from the special taste of betel nut. Some people say like drinking, some say like eating mustard, very excited, very soothing feeling. It is reported that 300,000-400,000 new cases of oral cancer (oral cancer or oropharyngeal cancer) occur globally every year, of which 228,000 cases occur in South and Southeast Asia, accounting for 58%, and most residents of these regions have the custom of chewing betel nut or betel nut. It can be seen that betel nut chewing is closely related to oral cancer. Why does this small fruit cause cancer? It turns out that betel nut contains a lot of betel nutin and alkaloids, which are cytotoxic. The reaction between the oral mucosa and the alkaloids contained in betel nut will lead to fibrosis of the oral mucosa, which is clinically manifested as difficulty in opening the mouth, numbness and ulcers. In addition to betel nut, tobacco and alcohol are also inseparable from oral cancer. Those who chew betel nut, smoke and drink alcohol at the same time will have a much higher risk of oral cancer. In the past few years, there is an increasing trend of oral cancer, especially among young people aged 30-40. This phenomenon may be related to the more common bad habits, such as the stimulation of tobacco and alcohol, especially alcohol can lead to the expansion of blood vessels, harmful substances are more easily absorbed by the oral cavity, or often stay up late (immune system decline), resulting in oral cancer more likely to occur. Oral ulcers that do not heal in two weeks should be screened for oral cancer Oral cancer is not familiar to people, and even less valued. Many people have ulcers (a small piece of rotten) or long cauliflower on the tongue, gums or oral mucosa, and most people think it is fire, so they drink some herbal tea to clear the heat and detoxify, but the result is not good for several months, and the longer it grows, the bigger and more painful it becomes. ). Usually, if such special oral ulcers as above appear, doctors will highly suspect oral cancer. Generally, just cutting a small piece of tissue and doing pathological examination under microscope is the most reliable way to confirm the diagnosis of oral cancer. For early oral cancer with ulcer diameter less than 2 cm, only local excision is needed and radiotherapy is not required, while if the ulcer is delayed until the middle or late stage, not only the tongue has to be removed, but also the lymph nodes in the neck have to be cleared, which not only affects the facial appearance greatly, but more seriously, the 5-year survival rate is only 60%. Therefore, mouth ulcers that do not heal for two weeks should be given sufficient attention and early access to the hospital.