Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Oral and nasopharyngeal cancer accounts for about 2 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year in the United States. Early detection and prompt treatment of oral cancer is crucial because the chances of survival are greatly increased.For example, the five-year survival rate for people with oral cancer that hasn't metastasized is 83 percent, while it's only 32 percent when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Although doctors and dentists are trained to detect oral cancer, if you can recognize the signs then the disease will be diagnosed and treated sooner. The higher the awareness of the disease, the better.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Finding entity markers

1. 

   Check your mouth regularly. Most oral and throat cancers cause early signs or symptoms, but not all. In some cases, cancer does not cause symptoms until it has grown badly. Doctors and dentists recommend that in addition to regular checkups, you should closely observe your mouth in the mirror at least once a month for abnormalities.
   • Oral cancer can develop almost anywhere in the mouth and throat, including lips, gums, tongue, stiffness, soft palate, tonsils, and the inside of the cheeks. Teeth are the only part that cannot develop cancer.
   • Consider buying or borrowing from your dentist a small dental mirror to give you a more thorough oral exam.
   • Brush and floss your teeth before examining your mouth. If your gums often bleed after brushing or flossing your teeth, rinse your mouth with warm salt water and wait a few minutes before examining.

2. 

   
   
   Look for small, white sores. Examine your entire mouth for small, white sores or wounds that your doctor calls leukoplakia. Mucous leukoplakia is an early sign of oral cancer but is often misdiagnosed as mouth sores, or other small sores that are caused by friction or light shock. Leukoplakia can also be confused with bacterial infection of the gum and tonsils, as well as for fungal overgrowth. Candida in mouth.
   • Although mouth sores and other types of ulcers are often painful, leukoplakia is not, unless it has developed into a late stage.
   • Mouth sores often occur on the inside of the lips, cheeks, and the sides of the tongue, while leukoplakia can appear anywhere in the mouth.
   • With good hygiene, a cold sore or other minor lesions should go away in about a week. In contrast, mucosal leukoplakia does not go away and often grows larger and more painful over time.

   Note: Any white sores or lesions that do not heal after two weeks should be evaluated by a medical professional.

   
   

3. 

   Look for red sores or patches. While examining the inside of the mouth and the back of the throat, look for red sores or patches. Red sores (lesions) are known as erythroplakia by doctors, and although less common than mucosal leukoplakia, the risk of developing cancer is much higher. The erythematous rash may initially be painful but not as painful as an ulcer with a similar appearance, such as a cold sore, cold sores (cold sores) or swollen gums.
   • The cold sore initially turns red, then forms a sore and turns white. In contrast, erythrasma remains red and does not heal after about a week.
   • Herpes cold sores (herpes) occur primarily on the outer border of the lips, but can occur in the mouth. Erythema always appears in the mouth.
   • Blisters and irritation from eating acidic foods also look like erythrasma, but they go away very quickly.
   • Any red sores or lesions that do not heal after two weeks should be evaluated by a medical professional.

4. 

   
   
   Touch for lumps and rough patches. Other potential signs of oral cancer are growth of a lump and a rough patch inside the mouth. In general, cancer is defined as the uncontrolled growth of cells, so that eventually a lump, bump or other tumor will appear. Use your tongue to feel around your mouth for lumps, lumps, unusual projections, or patches. In the early stages, these lumps and plaques are usually painless and can be mistaken for many other things in the mouth.
   • Gingivitis (swollen gums) may keep you from realizing dangerous tumors, but gingivitis often bleeds when brushing and flossing - early cancers do not.
   • Lumps or thicker growths in the mouth can interfere with the placement of dentures or discomfort while wearing dentures, which may be the first sign of oral cancer.
   • Always be on the lookout for persistent lumps or patches that spread in the mouth.
   • Plaque in the mouth can also be caused by chewing tobacco, rubbing dentures, dry mouth (lack of saliva), and Candida infection.

   Note: Any lump or patch that does not heal after two to three weeks should be evaluated by a medical professional.

5. 

   Don't ignore the pain. Pain in the mouth is usually caused by relatively benign problems, such as tooth decay, pent-up wisdom teeth, swollen gums, throat infections, mouth sores and poor oral care. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish these pain causes from the risk of cancer, but if you take good oral care then you should be wary.
   • Severe and sudden pain is usually a tooth / nerve problem, not an early sign of oral cancer.
   • Chronic pain or pain that worsens over time is more worrying but is still a dental problem that can be easily treated.
   • Painful pain spreading around the mouth and swelling of the lymph nodes around the jaw and neck is a major concern and should be considered immediately.
   • You should also watch for numbness or tenderness in your lips, mouth or throat and investigate the cause.
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Part 2 of 3: Recognize other signs

1. 

   Don't ignore the feeling of difficulty chewing. Due to development of mucosal leukoplakia, erythema, tumors, rough patches and / or painful sensations, patients with oral cancer often complain of difficulty chewing, as well as difficulty moving their jaw or tongue. The displacement or loosening of teeth caused by a cancerous tumor also makes it difficult to chew, so be careful if these changes occur.
   • If you are an elderly person, don't always assume that your dentures don't fit properly as the reason you can't chew properly. If the dentures were previously that fit, something in the mouth has changed.
   • Oral cancers, in particular the tongue or cheeks, can cause you to bite the tissue in your mouth more often while chewing.

   Note: If you are an adult and find that your teeth become looser or skewed, see a dentist as soon as possible.

2. 

   Pay attention to swallowing problems. Also because of the development of ulcers and tumors, as well as difficulty in tongue movement, many oral cancer patients complain of difficulty swallowing. Difficulty swallowing occurs at first with only food, but late-stage nasopharyngeal cancer can make it harder for you to swallow drinks or your own saliva.
   • Nasopharyngeal cancer can cause swelling and narrowing of the esophagus (the tube that leads to the stomach), as well as causing chronic swelling and pain when swallowing. A prominent feature of esophageal cancer is its rapidly progressive dysphagia.
   • Nasopharyngeal cancer also numbs the throat and / or the feeling that something is stuck there, like being "caught" in the throat.
   • Tonsil cancer and the back half of the tongue can make swallowing very difficult.

3. 

   Listen for your voice change. Another sign of oral cancer, especially in the late stage, is a symptom of difficulty speaking. Not being able to move the tongue and / or jaw properly can affect your ability to pronounce words. Your voice also becomes husky and changes in voice quality because of cancer of the throat or other parts that affect the vocal cords. Therefore, you should notice changes in your voice or someone says that your voice is different.
   • Sudden and inexplicable changes in your voice can be a sign of damage that is located on or near the vocal cord.
   • Because they feel that something is stuck in their throat, people with oral cancer sometimes develop a TIC disorder characterized by constant coughing.
   • Cancer-bound airways also change the way you speak and your voice quality.
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Part 3 of 3: Medical diagnosis

1. 

   Make an appointment with your doctor or dentist. If signs or symptoms persist for more than two weeks or deteriorate rapidly, contact your doctor or dentist as soon as possible. Unless your GP is also an ear, nose and throat specialist, a dentist is probably the better choice because they can easily rule out oral problems that aren't cancer and treat them all the time for relief. your concern.
   • In addition to an oral examination (including lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, tonsils and throat), neck, ears, and nose should also be examined to determine the cause of the problem.
   • Your doctor or dentist will ask you about risky behaviors (smoking and alcohol use) and a family history, since some cancers can be inherited.
   • Note: People over the age of 40, especially African-American men, are considered to be at a higher risk of oral cancer.

2. 

   Ask your doctor about special oral dyes. During an exam of the mouth and throat, some doctors or dentists use special dyes to better see the abnormalities in the mouth, especially if you are at a higher risk of oral cancer. One method, for example, uses a dye called toluidin blue.
   • Applying a blue toluidin dye to the cancerous area in the mouth will make the diseased tissue a darker green than the surrounding healthy tissue.
   • Sometimes infected or damaged tissue is also dark blue, so this is not a sure test for cancer, it can only be seen as visual reference.
   • To be sure of cancer, the doctor needs to take a tissue sample (biopsy) and look under a microscope. You will be correctly diagnosed with this way.

3. 

   Ask your doctor about using a laser. Another method to differentiate healthy tissue from cancerous tissue in the mouth is to use a laser. In general, when a laser is bounced off an abnormal cell, it will look different (dimmer) from that reflected from a normal cell. Another method uses a special fluorescent light to observe your mouth after you've rinsed your mouth with a solution of acetic acid (vinegar). Then cancer tissue will be more prominent.
   • If you suspect an abnormal area in your mouth, they will usually have a biopsy.
   • Sometimes tissue abnormalities can be assessed using desquamation technique, meaning they use a stiff bristle brush to scrape off the suspected lesion and look at the cells under a microscope.
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Advice

• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco will reduce your risk of oral cancer.
• Regular oral exams are important for early detection of oral cancer.
• Treatment for oral cancer often requires chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Sometimes they can have surgery to remove the damaged area.
• Oral cancer is twice as common in men than in women. African-American men are very susceptible to this disease.
• A diet rich in green vegetables and fruits (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli) can reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth and throat.

Warning

• If you see or feel something unusual or painful in your mouth that doesn't go away after a few days, don't delay seeing your doctor or dentist.