Transcript ORAL CANCER
By Andy Weber,
Alex Francisco,
and Scott
O’Malley
What is it?
Oral cancer is cancer that occurs through the mouth. It
affects gums, teeth, the tongue, and the throat but it can be
easily prevented.
CAUSES
Smoking
Tobacco use
Increased alcohol use
Poor oral hygiene
Too much exposure to sunlight on the lips
Poor diet
Regular use of betel nuts
HPV
Radiation treatment.
This cancer is not inherited. It his caused by environmental factors.
Effects
Patches/Discoloration in the
Mouth
Jaw Pain/Stiffness
Loose Teeth
Pain in the tongue
Mouth Sores
Lump/Swelling in the mouth
Hoarse Voice
Dentures don’t fit
Stages I- Tumor is less than one inch but has not reached nearby lymph
nodes yet. Some swelling and pain. Can be cured if found in early
stages.
II- Tumor is over 1 inch but less that 2 inches and has not reached
nearby lymph nodes. More swelling as well as pain in gums, teeth,
tongue and throat. It’s still treatable at this point.
III- Tumor is over 2 inches and has spread to lymph nodes. Cancer
in a lymph node is no bigger that 3 cm. Major swelling and pain in
the mouth including gums, teeth, throat, and tongue. Very hard to
treat at this point.
IV- Reached around oral cavity and lip. Nearby lymph node may or
may not contain cancer. Cancer has spread to 2 or more lymph
nodes on same of neck as tumor. Life expectancy has dropped
drastically in late stages and also involves extreme pain and almost
impossible to treat.
How is it Detected?
Biopsy: Small Sample of tissue
Endoscopy: light down patient’s throat
X-Rays
CT Scans
MRI
PET Scans
Treatments
Removal of tumor
Removal of cancer spread to the neck
Mouth reconstruction
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Internal Radiotherapy
Possible Cures
Can be cured easily if cancer has not reached
lymph nodes yet.
Removal of tumor (in early stages).
Removal of cancer spread in neck (early stages).
Prevention
Avoid drinking alcohol consistently or at all.
No smoking or avoid being around smoke
Less sun exposure/ sunscreen on lips/mouth area
Do not eat betel nuts
Avoid exposure to asbestos, sulfuric acid, and formaldehyde
Maintain oral hygiene (brush teeth, floss, mouth wash, etc.)
Maintain a healthy diet
Avoid chewing tobacco of all kinds
Additional Info
About 34,000 people in the U.S. are
diagnosed with oral cancer every year.
Roughly 1 person every hour dies from
oral cancer.
40,000 people will be diagnosed this
year, and approximately 57% will be
alive in 5 years killing over 8,000 people.
Support Groups
Oral Cancer Foundation
SPOHNC (Support for People with Oral,
Head, Neck Cancer)
MCSP (Mouth Cancer Support Group
SOURCES:
http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/fact
s/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedheal
th/PMH0002030/
http://www.webmd.com/oralhealth/guide/oral-cancer
http://www.medicinenet.com/oral_cancer
/article.htm