The Warning Signs of Oral Cancer

Early detection and treatment is the number one way to prevent death or recurrence in cancer cases -- all cancer cases. The 5-year survival rate of oral cancer, for example, is more than 80% when it's detected before metastasizing. Afterward, it drops to less than 50%. Fortunately, while oral cancer doesn't cause pain in most cases, there are other warning signs that you can detect if you're paying attention.

• Tissue changes -- including texture, color, and heat sensitivity -- within the mouth and gums.
• Lesions of red, white, or mixed red and white, especially those lasting more than two weeks. Red lesions are the most likely to become cancerous, but any long-lasting lesion can trigger a tumor.
• A lump or thickening of the soft oral tissue in the back of the throat.
• Soreness or the feeling that something is caught in your throat.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing or difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.
• Numbness of the tongue or back of the throat.
• Any open wound in the mouth that doesn't heal within two weeks.
• Swelling of the jaw or pressure under the jawbone.
• Ear pain or constant need to 'pop' your ears.

None of these by themselves indicate that you have oral cancer, but they indicate that you may need a checkup. The majority of oral cancer cases involve one or more of these symptoms in conjunction with one or more of these risk factors:

• Smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Heavy alcohol drinking.
• A poor diet, particularly one lacking in raw fruits and vegetables.
• Lack of exercise.
• Old age (60+ years of age.)
• HPV of the throat.

If you belong to one or more of these categories and you have any of the symptoms above, call our office today and schedule an oral cancer screening for yourself. Don't hesitate -- if it is cancer, time is absolutely of the essence!