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What is it?
- Oral and oropharyngeal
cancer include cancer of the lip, tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, gingiva
and alveolar mucosa, buccal mucosa, and oropharynx. Oral and oropharyngeal
cancers are the sixth most common cancer among white males and the fourth
most common among black males. Males are approximately twice as likely
as females to be diagnosed with and to die from oral and oropharyngeal
cancer. Males have traditionally had higher incidence rates than females
in New Jersey, although in recent years the gap is narrowing due to the
increasing number of women who began smoking over the past three decades
- More than
90% of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinoma. About 5% are salivary
gland malignancies, and smaller percentages are melanomas, sarcomas, and
lymphomas. The primary focus of a cancer control program for oral and oropharyngeal
cancers must, therefore, be on squamous cell carcinoma, the predominant
type.
What
puts me at risk?
The
known risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell
carcinoma are log-term tobacco use, alcohol use, immunosuppression,
use of betel (areca) quid popular in Asian population, and
in the case of lip cancer, long-tern sun exposure.
Preventing
Cancer
Other
steps you can take to help prevent oral cancer or to prevent
its progression include:
- See
your dentist annually for a check-up, especially if you are
at high risk for oral cancer
and ask for an oral cancer screening.
- Use
well-fitting dentures. If you wear dentures, be sure they
fit properly and are well cleaned and rinsed. Oral irritation
increases your risk of oral cancer.
- Don't
chew on the inside of your mouth. Doing so also irritates
your oral tissues.
- Limit
your exposure to the sun. Ultraviolet light damages the skin
on your lips and increases your risk of cancer. When you're
out in the sun, use lip balm and a wide-brimmed hat to protect
your face, including your lips.
Check
your mouth and tongue periodically. Standing in front
of a mirror, use your forefinger and thumb to pull facial
tissue aside to get a good view of the tissue on the
inside of your lips, your cheeks and elsewhere inside
your mouth. Look for bumps and for changes in color.
Use your thumbs and fingers to check for lumps and tender
spots. If you notice changes, talk to your dentist or
doctor. Oral cancer is curable. But success depends on
detecting it early.
For more information on preventing cancer, log onto:
MayoClinic.com
Screening
for Early Detection
Treatment
Options
- Surgery -The
type of surgery you may need depends on the size and location
of the tumor. The tumors that have invaded nearby tissues,
surgery is more extensive. Sometimes surgeons need to remove
bone tissue from the jaw or roof of the mouth. To treat
a cancer of your tongue or the upper part of your throat,
your surgeon may need to remove tissues that you use to
swallow and in some cases your voice box (larynx). If the
cancer has spread beyond your mouth, your surgeon also
may need to remove lymph nodes in your neck.
- Radiation
therapy- Radiation therapy uses X-rays to kill cancer
cells. This approach also may be used along with surgery
to destroy small amounts of cancer cells that couldn't
be removed during surgery.
- Chemotherapy-
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. You take
these drugs either through your veins (intravenously) or
orally. The type of drugs and the length of treatment depend
on the size and location of the tumor. Chemotherapy may be
used before surgery in order to shrink a tumor. Or, in the
case of a large and invasive tumor, chemotherapy may be used
in combination with radiation therapy and in place of surgery.
- Reconstructive
surgery- The goal of reconstructive surgery is to improve
your appearance and to help you adjust to difficulties
you may have chewing, swallowing, speaking or breathing.
Sometimes you'll need grafts of skin or other tissue from
other parts of your body to rebuild areas in your mouth,
throat or jaw. If you've had extensive surgery in your
neck, you may also undergo surgery to create a hole in
your neck (tracheostomy) to help you breathe more easily.
If muscles you need for swallowing have been removed, you'll
need surgery to create a hole in your abdomen (gastrostomy)
in order to receive food directly into your stomach through
a feeding tube.
- Rehabilitation-
Adjusting to life after your surgery may mean working with
a speech therapist and dietitian. A speech therapist can
help you overcome problems with speech and eating. If you've
lost the ability to speak, you can learn to speak by forcing
air up through your esophagus (esophageal speech). Artificial
devices also are available to help you speak or speak more
loudly. A dietitian can help you choose foods that are suitable
for you if you've lost some of your ability to chew and swallow.
In addition, you may benefit from sessions with a physical
therapist and occupational therapist to help you make adjustments
in your personal and work lives.
For more information about treatment options, log onto:
MayoClinic.com
For information on finding a doctor or treatment facility, log onto: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/doctor-facility
Clinical Trials
- Clinical trials are research studies in which people help doctors find ways to improve health and cancer care. Each study tries to answer scientific questions and to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer.
- A clinical trial is one of the final stages of a long and careful cancer research process. Studies are done with cancer patients to find out whether promising approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are safe and effective.
- Different types of clinical trials include:
- Treatment trials
- Prevention trials
- Screening trials
- Quality of life trials
For more information on clinical trials, log onto:
Coping
with Cancer
Palliative Care -
Comprehensive
Cancer Control Plan
-
Palliative care is a coordinated, inter-disciplinary
approach to healthcare that enhances the quality of life
of patients with cancer and other illnesses. It targets
the physical and psychological symptoms and spiritual
needs of patients from the time of diagnosis to end-of-life
care in all settings.
For more information on Palliative Care , log onto:
The World Oncology Network
StopPain.org
New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Children Coping with Parents
with Oral & Oropharyngeal Cancer
- Learn
more about all different types of cancers.
- Questions
that children might have dealing with cancer.
- Books
to help children understand more about certain cancers.
- Stories
from other children.
- Camps
and foundations.
For more information, log onto:
CancerSourceKids
Statistics
Comprehensive
Cancer Control Plan
National Center for Health Statistics NCHS- Fact Sheets
New Jersey State Cancer
Registry
More Information
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Office of Cancer Control and Prevention
