Oral Cancer the strangely silent killer in our society
According to research conducted by the American
Cancer society, more than 30,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed
each year. More than 7,000 of these cases result in the death of the
patient. The good news is that oral cancer can easily be diagnosed
with an annual oral cancer exam, and effectively treated when caught in
its earliest stages.
Oral cancer is a
pathologic process which begins with an asymptomatic stage during which
the usual cancer signs may not be readily noticeable. This makes the
oral cancer examinations performed by the dentist critically
important. Oral cancers can be of varied histologic types such as
teratoma, adenocarcinoma and melanoma. The most common type of oral
cancer is the malignant squamous cell carcinoma. This oral cancer type
usually originates in lip and mouth tissues.
There are many different places in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region in which oral cancers commonly occur, including:
Oral cancer most commonly involves:
- the front 2/3 of the tongue,
- the lining of the cheeks and lips (the buccal mucosa),
- the floor of mouth under the tongue,
- the roof of the mouth (hard palate),
- the gums (gingiva),
- the small area behind the wisdom teeth (the retromolar trigone), and
- the minor salivary glands.
Most oral cancers look very similar under the microscope and are
called "squamous cell" carcinomas. These are malignant and tend to
spread rapidly.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous epithelium is
the tissue that lines the mouth, throat, tongue and tonsils. These
tissue cells are irregularly shaped and very flat. Squamous epithelium
also lines other body cavities and capillaries to reduce friction, as
well as lining the lungs to facilitate gas exchange.
Carcinoma is any malignant cancer that arises from
epithelial cells. Carcinomas invade surrounding 
tissues and organs and
may "metastasize"., or spread, to lymph nodes and other sites.
Metastasis, is the spread of a disease from one
organ or body part to another non-adjacent organ or body part. Only
malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize.
Cancer cells can "break away", "leak", or "spill" from a primary tumor,
enter lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream,
and settle down to grow within normal tissues elsewhere in the body.
Oral Cancer is often detected late in development, when the
possibility of metastasis is much greater. Like most cancers, cancer of
the lip and oral cavity is best treated when found early - when cure
rates are greater than 80%.
Determination of the stage of cancer in the lip or oral cavity is important in order to plan the best course of treatment.
There are a number of stages:
- Stage I. The cancer is no more than 2 centimeters and has not spread to lymph nodes in the area
- Stage II. The cancer is more than 2 centimeters but less than 4 centimeters and has not spread to lymph nodes in the area
- Stage III.
Either of the following may be true - the cancer is more than 4
centimeters; the cancer is any size but has spread to only one lymph
node on the same side of the neck as the cancer.
- Stage IV.
Any of the following may be true - the cancer has spread to tissues
around the lip or oral cavity; the lymph nodes in the area may or may
not contain cancer; the cancer is any size and has spread to more than
one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, to lymph
nodes on one or both sides of the neck, or to any lymph node that
measures more than 6 centimeters.
- Recurrent.
The cancer has returned after it has been treated. It may come back in the lip and oral cavity or in another part of the body.
For more information on oral cancer visit The Oral Cancer Foundation or call our office for an oral cancer evaluation at 203-255-5999
Information above from Trimira The secret weapon in early detection of oral cancer, for more info visit them online at www.trimira.net