Created in partnership with the American Cancer Society.
This is for informational purposes only. If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to your medical provider.
Delta Dental of Washington and the American Cancer Society have teamed up for April's Oral Cancer Awareness Month to bring you resources that give you everything you need to know about oral cancer - how to prevent it, treat it, and how to catch it early for better treatment results.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 54,540 people in the country will get oral or oropharyngeal cancer in 2023 alone, and what’s more, roughly 11,580 will lose their lives from it. Only a little over half of those diagnosed are expected to survive beyond five years, making the death rate higher than that for other, more common types of cancer.
A major factor in these numbers is that oral cancer often isn’t detected early enough when the treatment is the most effective. The good news is that by understanding the causes of the condition and the signs and symptoms to look for, you can reduce your risk for developing a severe case of oral cancer — or even prevent it altogether.
Your dentist is a key partner in caring for your oral health. Don’t have one? Use our ‘Find a Dentist’ tool to locate a provider that’s right for you.
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What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer, or mouth cancer, is a form of cancer that can affect both the inside and outside of the mouth. It’s divided into two categories:
- Cancer of the oral cavity, which can include your lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, front two-thirds of your tongue, the floor of your mouth, and your hard palate
- Cancer of the oropharynx (oropharyngeal cancer), which can affect your soft palate, the back and base of your tongue, your tonsils, and the back of your throat
Mouth Cancer Symptoms
Oral cancer can be particularly dangerous because it often goes unnoticed until it’s progressed to its later stages. This is in part because there’s no national screening policy for oral cancer. In fact, the Oral Cancer Foundation reports that less than 25% of people who visit the dentist regularly say they’ve had a screening.
Additionally, the early warning signs might go unnoticed because they’re often be painless or look like other, non-emergent issues. The signs and symptoms of oral cancer might include:
- Persistent lip sores or mouth ulcers
- Pain or numbness in the lips, mouth, ears, or throat
- Red or white patches on the inside of the mouth
- A growth, lump, rough spot, or eroded area inside the mouth
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Difficulty speaking or moving your tongue or jaw
- Loose teeth or a change in the way your bite fits together
Keep in mind that none of these symptoms are a tell-tale sign of oral cancer. Many of these could be attributed to a mouth infection or common mouth sores, both of which could be caused by any number of factors.
In fact, the Oral Cancer Foundation cites a study that says the average dentist sees three to five patients a day who show abnormalities in the mouth, most of which are no cause for concern. Even simple things such as cold sores, canker sores, and sores from accidentally biting the inside of your cheek can share similarities to the signs of oral cancer.
The most important thing is to keep a close eye on these issues once you’ve noticed them. If they don’t heal within 14 days, contact your dentist to schedule an exam. Should your dentist think they see a sign of oral cancer, they’ll conduct a biopsy to send to a lab for further analysis.
What Causes Oral Cancer
Most cases of oral cancer are caused by lifestyle choices, like the long-term use of tobacco in any form. As the Oral Cancer Foundation explains, the risk is significantly increased if tobacco use is combined with high alcohol consumption, “as the two act synergistically.” People who both drink and use tobacco have a 15-times greater risk for developing oral cancer.
Other risk factors include age (although this is attributed more to the cumulative damage caused by things such as smoking than to age itself), a weakened immune system, certain genetic disorders such as Fanconi anemia and dyskeratosis congenita, and excessive sun exposure, which can lead to cancer of the lips.
There have also been growing cases of oropharyngeal cancer in younger, non-tobacco-using people due to the human papilloma virus (HPV). There are more than 150 strains of HPV, most thought to be harmless, and they’re so common that nearly everyone will be infected at some point in their life. However, a sexually transmitted strain – HPV16 – has been linked to cancer of the throat and back of the mouth, as well as other cancers, such as cervical cancer.
While it’s certainly something to be aware of — the CDC says that HPV is thought to cause 70% of oropharyngeal cancer cases in the U.S. — having HPV 16 doesn’t mean that you’ll get oral cancer. Most people’s immune systems fight off the infection within one to two years.
Treatments for Oral Cancer
If you’re diagnosed with oral cancer, you’ll likely need to undergo additional tests to determine the cancer’s stage and if it’s spread beyond your mouth. These might include an endoscopy or imaging tests such as CTs, MRIs, or PET scans.
Your treatment will be determined by the stage of the cancer and its location. The three most common treatment methods include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. You might only need to undergo one of these types of treatments, or your doctor may determine a need for a combination of treatments.
SURGERY
In some cases, surgery might be recommended to excise the cancerous tumor. This could be a relatively minor procedure, or in more serious cases, portions of the tongue, jaw, or lymph nodes might need to be removed in order to address a larger tumor.
Depending on the extent of the initial operation, additional surgery might be performed to reconstruct any areas in or around your mouth that were affected. This could include dental implants to replace any natural teeth that were lost or had to be removed, or transplants of skin, bone, or muscle from other parts of your body.
RADIATION
Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. It might be used on its own to treat oral cancers that are in their early stages, but in most cases, it’s used following surgery and sometimes in conjunction with chemotherapy.
CHEMOTHERAPY
Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. It can be used alone but is often combined with radiation to increase the effectiveness.
Oral and Overall Complications of Mouth Cancer
Unfortunately, there are many oral and overall complications associated with mouth cancer and the treatment options.
Treatments such as radiation can have oral side effects such as dry mouth and tooth decay. Depending on the types of drugs you receive, side effects from chemo can range from nausea and vomiting to hair loss. Paired together, these two therapies may be more effective, but the side effects are also likely to be worse.
Surgery of any kind comes with the risk for bleeding and infection, and this is especially true for surgery of the mouth. Following an operation, a patient may need to receive nutrients and medicine through a tube and/or undergo therapy to help them with speaking, chewing, and swallowing.
Perhaps one of the biggest complications is oral cancer’s high rate of producing secondary tumors. Per the Oral Cancer Foundation, patients who have survived a first case of the disease are up to 20 times more likely of developing it again than someone getting it for the first time.
What You Can Do to Minimize Your Risk for Oral Cancer
All of this can sound a bit scary but there are so many options available to help minimize your risk. These include:
- Stopping the use of tobacco of any kind (or better yet never start)
- Drinking alcohol in moderation (up to two drinks per day for men 65 and younger; up to one drink per day for women of all ages and men over 65)
- Avoiding excessive sun exposure
- Getting the HPV vaccine
You can also conduct self exams of your own mouth at home. CheckYourMouth.org offers tips for performing a self-screening for signs of oral cancer. All you need are three simple tools and about five minutes per month.
By being proactive about looking for new or changing issues in your mouth, you can be the first line of defense for early detection. And of course, don’t forget to see your dentist regularly for an annual oral cancer screening.
This is for informational purposes only. If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to your medical provider.
Your dentist is a key partner in caring for your oral health. Don’t have one? Use our ‘Find a Dentist’ tool to locate a provider that’s right for you.
Find a Dentist
Sources:
“Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers.” The American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
“Dental.” Oral Cancer Foundation. https://oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/
“Oral Cancer Facts.” Oral Cancer Foundation. https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/
“HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/hpv_oropharyngeal.htm
“Tooth Replacement? Know Your Options.” 27 May 2014. Keefe, Anna. Delta Dental of Washington. https://www.deltadentalwa.com/blog/entry/2014/05/tooth-replacement-know-your-options
