November is mouth cancer awareness month. In our latest team blog, our information nurse Teri looks at the key facts about mouth cancer, including symptoms, causes and treatments...
As with many cancers, if mouth cancer is diagnosed early, it can usually be treated more successfully. However, most of us are unaware of the causes and symptoms of mouth cancer and when we should go to our GP or dentist to get symptoms checked over. If we are more aware of the risk factors and signs and symptoms of mouth cancer, we’ll know what to look out for and have a better chance of getting an early diagnosis.
Symptoms of mouth cancer
Symptoms may include:
These symptoms can be caused by other conditions, but it's important to have them checked - mouth cancer is much easier to treat when it’s diagnosed early.
If you have any symptoms that you’re concerned about, make an appointment with your GP or dentist. They will examine your mouth closely. If they think that your symptoms could be caused by cancer, or if they aren't sure what the problem is, they will refer you to a specialist doctor.
If your only symptom is a lump in your neck, you may be referred to a hospital neck lump clinic. This is a ‘one-stop’ clinic where you can have all the tests needed to check for cancer in a neck lump. This may include an ultrasound scan and a sample of tissue taken from the lump or affected area. The clinic can often give you the results of your tests on the same day but, sometimes, you may need to wait longer.
Causes and risk factors for mouth cancer
The main causes of mouth cancer are drinking heavily and smoking or chewing tobacco. The risk of developing mouth cancer is even greater if you drink heavily and smoke. Chewing betel quid, even if it doesn’t have tobacco in it, also can increase the risk.
Mouth cancer has been linked to the human pappilloma virus (HPV). However, only a small number of people with HPV develop mouth cancer. The risk of HPV infection in the mouth and throat is linked to sexual contact, such as oral sex. The risk increases with the number of sexual partners you have, especially if you’re having sex without using a barrier method of contraception.
The risk of cancer or HPV is also increased if you have medical problems that cause a weak immune system. Long-term ultraviolet light exposure (from sunlight, sun beds or sunlamps) increases the risk of lip cancer.
A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables may help to reduce the risk of developing cancer of the mouth.
Treatment for mouth cancer
Treatment for mouth cancer will depend on where in the mouth the cancer is. Your doctor will consider the possible effects of treatment on your speech and your ability to swallow when deciding on the best treatment. The treatments that may be used are mainly surgery or radiotherapy. Some people have surgery followed by radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is also sometimes given at the same time as radiotherapy. The specialist will always explain the side effects of treatment and whether you might have any late side effects and how these can be managed. And there are lots of other health professionals to help you including dietitians and speech therapists.
Further information on mouth cancer
We have more information on mouth cancer in our Understanding head and neck cancers booklet.
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