In India Cancer of head and neck is sixth most common malignancy,
contributing to almost one-third of the total burden and the second country
globally having the highest number of oral cancer cases. Oral cancer comes under Head and neck cancers and Among all Head and Neck cancers, oral cancer is the most common cancer in our country. The incidence of OC is directly correlated with age of subjects. Rates rise dramatically after the age of 40–49 years, and reach a plateau around the age of 70–79 years. And according to various researches Men are most commonly affected than women in India.
It is a well known fact that the most important causative and risk factor for oral cancer is the use of tobacco( any form) and the consumption of alcohol.
But it is important to understand that Oral cancer is a multifactorial lesion which means just a single reason dont always holds the cause for a cancer to occur. About 25% of people who develop oral cancer don’t smoke or consume alcohol.Where the risk factors might include:
chronic inflammation due to trauma ( sharp tooth or ill-fitting prosthesis)
ultra violet (UV) radiation(most common in case of lip cancer)
infections such as human papilloma virus (HPV) or Candida
immunosuppression, genetic predisposition
diet (socio-economic status plays a major role)
lifestyle.
Previous history of cancer in any other part of the body
Familial history of cancer
Among them, tobacco use and alcohol consumption as a co-factor are considered as the main risk factors to develop malignancy in the oral cavity. Tobacco consumption (in any form)
is a prime cause of cancer, prominently in developing nations. In India oral cancer is common among low social economic status which is directly linked to poor education, lack of nutrition, ignorance towards health care, poor living condition and risk behaviors .
Most common sites affected in the oral cavity are :
The lining of the inside of your cheeks.
The lateral border (sides) of your tongue..
The surface of your tongue.
The floor of your mouth (the part under your tongue).
The upper and lower lips
The gums
The roof of your mouth (palate).
The area right behind your wisdom teeth.
Due to lack of awareness and ignorance most of the cases are
reported in advanced disease stage resulting in poor survival rate. Only 15% of
the patients are diagnosed when the disease is at a localized stage.
Dentists add to the crucial group of health care professionals in diagnosing oral cancers by observing essential warning signs and symptoms on examination of the oral cavity and confirming with suitable diagnostic aids. Thus, pertaining to the oral region, a “sign” refers to an objective evidence of a oral condition detected by a dentists during the examination of the oral cavity while a “symptom” refers to a subjective evidence of disease or a patient’s oral condition. Few signs may go unnoticed by the patient although they remain meaningful and significant to the healthcare provider in assisting the diagnosis of medical condition(s) responsible for the patient’s symptoms. Among all the dental signs and symptoms detected on regular history and examination of the patients, the warning sign points to the intimation, threat, or sign of an impending danger of the underlying disease. Usually, at the molecular level, the cells undergo multistep process which includes initiation, proliferation and progression to become cancer cells during the pathogenesis of oral cancer. The clinical features also depend upon the etiopathological behavior of the individual tumors
WHAT ARE THE INITIAL SIGNS OF ORAL CANCER:
The very initial sign of oral cancer is any kind of abnormal colour
non healing ulcer with or without induration / nonhealing tooth socket for more than 2 weeks this may or may not be associated with pain. Other signs and symptoms are:
• White or greyish patch which if firm in consistency while you palpate with your fingers
• Red lesion or lesion with erythematous appearance
• Abnormal lump or growth in the mouth with increase in size
• Exophytic/ulceroproliferative growth
• Mass or lump in the neck and neigbouring regions (Lymph node enlargement)
• Mobility/ displacement/ non vital teeth/peri implantitis
• Tooth pain and referral pain
• Bleeding from the mouth (hemorrhage)
Make an appointment with your dentist if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that bother you and last more than two weeks. Your doctor will likely investigate other more common causes for your signs and symptoms first, such as an infection. Further your dentist will proceed with Various conventional clinical techniques such as physical and histopathological examination, staining, biopsy, spectroscopic and radiological techniques, etc.
are used routinely to detect oral cancer. The diagnosis of cancer in the early
stage is the most important criteria to check further and the over all physical,
psychological, and financial losses to the patient.
Oral cancer is curable if detected at an early stage. And like other cancers, a large amount of effort has been dedicated in determining the causes and improving the treatments modalities.
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