By Dr. G.P. Dureja, Pain Management
Oral or mouth cancer refers to the development of cancerous cells in the lips, throat, cheeks, tongue and sinuses which damage the adjacent tissues and do not tend to subside without appropriate surgical procedures or medications. If not diagnosed early, oral cancer can cause serious complications.
Causes-
Although what exactly causes the development of the squamous cell carcinoma is not known to doctors, however, the following factors increase the risks of developing oral cancer:
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
- If you are a chain smoker or have a habit of chewing on tobacco and other pan masala, you are more likely to develop oral cancer.
- Continuous and prolonged exposure to sunlight from a very early age might make you susceptible to oral cancer.
- Having a family history of this condition makes you even more vulnerable to it.
Symptoms-
- Severe and sudden bleeding from your mouth along with a numbing pain in the facial areas.
- Development of an abnormal bump in any part of the mouth along with the formation of white or red spots in the affected areas.
- Severe pain in the ears and the surrounding area along with soreness in the throat.
- Development of facial, mouth or neck sores which might persist for a month or even more.
- Significant trouble while swallowing or speaking with any movement of the tongue.
- Sudden loss of body weight.
Treatment-
- Firstly, a surgery of the affected part will be prescribed by the doctor to fully eliminate any possibility of further cancerous developments.
- Additionally, your doctor might prescribe chemotherapy or radiation therapy to eliminate cancerous growths on other body parts, if any. Consult a specialized doctor here at Lybrate.