Oral Cavity Cancer
Overview
Oral cancer is cancer found in the oral cavity (the mouth area). The oral cavity includes:
- The lips, teeth and gums
- The front two-thirds of the tongue
- The inner lining of the lips and cheeks (buccal mucosa)
- The area underneath the tongue (floor of the mouth)
- The roof of the mouth (hard palate)
Symptoms
Common symptoms of oral cancer include the following:
- A lip or mouth sore that does not heal
- A white or red patch on the gums, tongue or lining of the mouth
- A lump on the lip or in the mouth
- Unusual bleeding, pain or numbness in the mouth area
- Swelling of the jaw or neck
Each person with oral cancer may experience different symptoms, and some symptoms of oral cancer may resemble those of other disorders or medical problems. Always consult your health care provider for a diagnosis.
Causes
The main causes of oral cancer are:
- Tobacco use (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless forms)
- Alcohol use
- A lump on the lip or in the mouth
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
- Excessive sun exposure to the lips
Treatment
Treatment options for oral cancer include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. You may need only one type of treatment, or you may need a combination of treatments. Recommendations are usually made after consultation among the multidisciplinary team of oncologists (head and neck surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists) and a speech-language pathologist.
- Surgery: Surgery for oral cancer includes different surgical techniques that depend on the location, size and extent of the cancer. You may need surgery to remove the cancer from your mouth as well as to repair (reconstruct) your mouth after the cancer is removed. You may also need surgery to remove the lymph nodes from your neck if there is concern that the cancer may have spread there.
- Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays that damage cancer cells and halt the spread of the disease. Radiation therapy is very localized and is aimed at only the area where the cancer is present. This therapy is usually given externally with a machine, but it can be delivered internally with radioactive materials.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses medications that go throughout the entire body to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given alone, or it can be used in combination with surgery or radiation therapy.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy uses medications that help your body’s immune system fight the cancer. It may be given to people with advanced oral cancers that are not responding to standard therapies.
- Targeted Therapies: For some patients, drugs that target specific cancer cells are an option. An example is cetuximab (Erbitux), which targets epidermal growth factor receptors.
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