Oral Cavity Cancer

What is oral cavity cancer?

The oral cavity (commonly referred to as the mouth) contains several structures which are key for speaking, eating and breathing. These include the tongue, the mandible (lower jaw), the maxilla (upper jaw), buccal mucosa (inside of the cheek) and the lips.

What causes oral cavity cancer?

The most common causes of oral cavity cancer include tobacco, alcohol and betel nut consumption. These substances cause damage to the cells in the lining of the mouth and alter their ability to control growth. When this happens, the cells grow rapidly and uncontrolled, which leads to the development of a cancerous tumor.

How common is oral cavity cancer?

There will be approximately 58,540 new cases of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed in the United States this year according to the American Cancer Society. The average age of diagnosis is 64 years old, but up to 20% of cases occur in people younger than 55 years old.

What are the signs and symptoms for oral cavity cancer?

The symptoms of oral cavity cancer can include painful sores in the mouth, recurrent bleeding from the mouth, bad breath, loose teeth or dentures that do not fit correctly, difficulty opening the mouth, numbness in the lower teeth or lips, and pain with swallowing. If you develop any of these symptoms, contact our team at Endeavor Health Advanced Neurosciences Center. to book an appointment with our head and neck cancer specialists.

How is oral cavity cancer treated?

Generally, oral cavity cancer is treated with surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the tumor and some surrounding normal tissue (known as a margin). Removal of cancerous lymph nodes from the neck is commonly done during surgery as well which is called neck dissection. If the surgery is extensive, reconstructive surgery is often performed during the same operation to rebuild structures that were affected by the cancer.