Figure: representation of the mouth and its main anatomical structures. From the site: foodpyramid.com
The exact causes are unknown, however, according to the researchers, tobacco, alcohol abuse, excessive exposure to sunlight and human papilloma virus infection play a fundamental role.
Symptoms of malignant mouth tumors are numerous and range from persistent sore throat to leukoplakia.
Treatment involves surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and sometimes even chemotherapy.
WHAT IS A CANCER?
In medicine, the term tumor identifies a mass of very active cells, capable of dividing and growing in an uncontrolled way.
- We speak of a benign tumor when the growth of the cell mass is not infiltrative (that is, it does not invade the surrounding tissues) and not even metastasizing.
- Instead, we speak of malignant tumor when the abnormal mass of cells has the ability to grow very quickly and spread to surrounding tissues and the rest of the body.
Figure: tumor of the tongue.
From the site: en.wikipedia.org
The terms malignant tumor, cancer, carcinoma And malignant neoplasm are to be considered synonyms; therefore, (malignant) mouth cancer is also known as mouth cancer (or oral cancer) and mouth cancer (or oral cancer).
WHAT KIND OF CANCER IS IT?
Usually, mouth cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (or squamous carcinoma).
Squamous cell carcinomas are malignant skin tumors, other than melanoma, which originate in squamous cells (which, although devoid of keratin, are also present in the oral mucosa).
Less commonly, mouth cancer has the same characteristics as Kaposi's sarcoma.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
In 2010, 124,000 people died from mouth cancer worldwide. Twenty "years earlier, in 1990, there was 82,000. Thus, there was a noticeable increase in mortality.
According to a German study, referring to Germany, the 5-year survival from oral cancer diagnosis is 55%.
In the UK, throat cancer is the 16th most common malignancy and 19th cause of cancer death. Its death rate exceeds that of more well-known cancers, such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, testicular cancer, laryngeal cancer and malignant melanoma.
These mutations, which typically affect only one cell, are responsible for the uncontrolled process of division and growth that characterizes a tumor.
But what triggers the DNA mutations behind the neoplastic process? The exact causes of these genetic alterations are currently unknown. However, doctors believe that a key role is played by:
- Tobacco, however you use it. So cigarette, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco etc.
- Alcohol abuse
- Excessive exposure to the sun's UV rays, which favor the appearance of lip tumors.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections
WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR?
It is advisable to contact your doctor if one or more of the above symptoms persist for more than two weeks.
buccal, a "throat endoscopy and imaging tests."
BUCCAL BIOPSY
The buccal biopsy consists in the taking and in the laboratory analysis of a sample of cells coming from the tumor mass.
ENDOSCOPY AND DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATIONS FOR IMAGES
Endoscopy and diagnostic imaging are used with the aim of analyzing the characteristics and severity of the tumor.
Endoscopy. Using an instrument equipped with a light and a camera (endoscope), the doctor inspects the patient's mouth and throat to try to understand how far the tumor has spread.
Diagnostic for images. Using CT (computed tomography), nuclear magnetic resonance, X-rays, or PET (positron emission tomography), doctors can tell if the cancer has spread to neighboring lymph nodes and other organs in the body (tumor metastases).
CT, X-rays and PET provide an "exposure to a dose, however very low, of harmful ionizing radiation.
The severity of a tumor - which depends on the size of the neoplastic mass and the ability of tumor cells to spread - can be classified into 4 stages, distinguished from each other by the first four Roman numerals. Stage I identifies less severe tumors, confined to a specific site; Stage IV, on the other hand, identifies the most severe tumors, which are widespread in the lymph nodes and other organs of the body (usually the liver). Stages II and III identify tumors of intermediate severity.
, jaw, etc., facial reconstruction surgery may be required. For this purpose, the surgeon could perform skin, teeth or bone grafts, not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for a functional reason: it may happen, in fact, that the operated patients are unable to speak, chew, eat properly, etc. , due to the extensive resection of the tissues of the mouth.
RADIOTHERAPY
Radiotherapy involves exposing the tumor mass to a certain dose of high-energy ionizing radiation (X-rays), which are designed to destroy neoplastic cells.
Generally, it is practiced after surgery and can be associated with chemotherapy. If relapses occur, for safety reasons, radiotherapy can be repeated.
CHEMOTHERAPY
Chemotherapy is the administration of drugs capable of killing rapidly growing cells, including cancer cells.
Nausea
He retched
Hair loss
Sense of fatigue
Infection vulnerability
Loss of teeth
Sense of fatigue
Mandibular stiffness
Inflammation of the mouth
Bleeding gums
Dry mouth
OTHER ANTI-CANCER DRUGS
There are anticancer drugs, such as Cetuximab, which act specifically against cancer cells, as these have very specific characteristics, different from those of healthy cells.
SOME IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC RULES
In case of mouth cancer, doctors advise not to smoke and not to drink alcohol; in fact, in addition to predisposing to cancer, these habits (especially tobacco) slow down the healing process.
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