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:  s/ s/ s/  th/PMH / th/PMH / th/PMH /  health/guide/oral-cancer health/guide/oral-cancer health/guide/oral-cancer  /article.htm /article.htm /article.htm