Knowing oral cancer and its forms of treatment

The word cancer causes chills to many people because of the stubbornness of the disease and the trauma that it brings to its victims. There are different types of cancers and these cancers are named based on the position that they affect. The mouth is no exception thus oral cancer. Oral cancer or oral cavity cancer is also a cancer like many others only that it affects the mouth. If you are a heavy drinker, smoke tobacco or if you have contacted human papillomavirus then you are at risk of developing mouth cancer. These aspects are known to be the primary risk factors that result to the development of the cancer within the mouth.

Symptoms of the disease

There are a number of symptoms that point to the direction of possible oral cancer. These symptoms are not conclusive and should be complimented with further tests to whether the issue is oral cancer. The common symptoms are sore throat that does not heal or end and if there is a lump or white or red patch in the mouth, then one should be worried of the cancer. These are the common symptoms that should interest you in vising a dentist.

There are other symptoms that some of the people suffering from the cancer have experienced. Pain in the mouth, year, and face are some of the symptoms that have been registered. The pain is often realized when one is swallowing food or saliva. Ulcers in the mouth accompanied by bad breath or red and white plaques are some of the visible indicators that one may have oral cancer. In some cases, there might be some persistent coughs.

Treatment of the condition

There are various treatments of the conditions. It is important to note that like any other cancer, the appropriate treatment is based on the stage of the cancer. One of the common treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a common treatment for all forms of cancer and it is also applicable in oral cancer. The process involves the killing of the cancer cells using drugs that react with the disease. The drugs are administered in doses regularly over a period of time until the cancerous cells are destroyed. The process uses chemical methods in treating the cancer.

The second method is radiation therapy. Ration therapy uses radiations or high-energy rays for the treatment. X-rays and other similar rays that have high energy levels are directed to the cancer cells to kill them. The approach to treatment has been effective in other cancers and is also applicable for oral cancer.

Surgery is another form of treatment for the cancer. There are different types of surgery that are run to treat the oral cancer. These types of surgery depend on the location of the cancer. There is the laryngectomy, which involves the surgical removal of the parts of the voice box, or the larynx that are affected to cure the cancer. The second method involves neck dissection whereby the lymph nodes within the neck are removed if they are cancer infected. Then there is the glossectomy, which is the removal of all or part of the tongue that is affected to eliminate the cancer.

Cancer is easily curable if detected early. It is for this reason that one should ensure that they go for oral cancer screening. Oral cancer screening helps in the detection of cancer to allow treatment. You may wait for any of the oral cancer symptoms to go for the test or make regular visits even before you detect any oral cancer symptoms. If you know that you are exposed to the oral cancer causes, then you should go for the test early to begin the oral cancer treatment early. There may be other oral cancer causes that are not discussed but one should go for regular tests. All you need to do is search oral cancer in Bolton, ON and get in contact with Bolton dentist to get you test and treatment for oral cancer in Bolton, ON. With the right Bolton dentist oral cancer can be tested and diagnosed and the right treatment and care provided to ensure that the condition is managed before it extensively affects the patient.