Oral cancer is any cancer that develops in your oral cavity and can affect structures such as gums, lips, floor of the mouth, tongue, and cheeks. Detecting and treating this disease early enough will help enhance a better prognosis. Here is a comprehensive overview of how oral cancer can be seen and treated.
Routine Oral Checkups
Regular oral dental checkups are vital in helping early detection. Oral health professionals, such as dentists, can detect signs of oral cancer during routine exams. Some symptoms they look for are mouth discoloration, sores, or lumps.
Biopsy
When a dentist finds an abnormality or a lesion, a biopsy may be done; this involves taking a small tissue sample for laboratory analysis. A pathologist after that, examines the biopsy to check for the presence of cancer cells.
Performing Self-Examination
Involves looking for changes in the oral cavity, such as red patches, ulcers, or sores that are not healing. To check for these changes, one can use a mirror with good lighting and inspect the inside of the mouth. When you detect early enough you will have a better prognosis.
Imaging
Imaging is the modern form of diagnosis involving imaging tests such as CT scans, MRIs, and PET scans. These tests are primarily used to assess the extent of the cancer. The best are mainly carried in patients with suspected metastasis to the nearby region and structures.
Treatment of oral cancer
The treatment of oral cancer depends on its location, cancer staging, and the patient's oral health. Treatment can be of various forms, such as surgery, which aims to remove the tumor. In advanced stages, radiation therapy is appropriate to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is another standard method that uses drugs to destroy the cancer cells. It is essential to ensure early detection and treatment for a better prognosis of oral cancer.
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Oral cancer is any cancer that develops in your oral cavity and can affect structures such as gums, lips, floor of the mouth, tongue, and cheeks. Detecting and treating this disease early enough will help enhance a better prognosis. Here is a comprehensive overview of how oral cancer can be seen and treated.