Mouth Cancer Action Month

Mouth Cancer Action Month is held in November every year and is supported by the Mouth Cancer Foundation and the Oral Health Foundation. 

Some early signs of mouth cancer include:

• Ulcers that don’t heal within 3 weeks
• Pain or discomfort in the mouth
• Lumps and swellings in the mouth or neck
• Bleeding from the mouth or throat
• Red or white patches inside the mouth
• Changes in texture of the mouth
• Teeth that become loose
• Difficulty or pain with swallowing, chewing, or moving the jaw 

One of the real dangers of this cancer is that in its early stages, it can go unnoticed. It can be painless, and little in the way of physical changes may be obvious. The good news is that your Physician or Dentist can, in many cases, see or feel the precursor tissue changes or actual cancer while it is still very small or in its earliest stages.  

It may appear as a white or red patch of tissue in the mouth or a small indurated ulcer that looks like a common canker sore. Because there are so many benign tissue changes that occur normally in your mouth, and some things as simple as a bite on the inside of your cheek may mimic the look of a dangerous tissue change, it is essential to have any sore or discolored area of your mouth, which does not heal within 14 days, looked at by a professional.

Other symptoms include a painless lump or mass that can be felt inside the mouth or neck, difficulty swallowing, speaking, or chewing wart-like masses, hoarseness that lasts for a long time, or numbness in the oral/facial region. Unilateral persistent earache can also be a warning sign.

Other than the lips, which are no longer a major site for occurrence, common areas for oral cancer to develop in the anterior (front) of the mouth are on the tongue and the floor of the mouth. Individuals who chew tobacco are likely to develop them in the sulcus between the lip or cheek and the soft tissue (gingiva) covering the lower jaw (mandible) where the plug of tobacco is held repeatedly. There are also a small number of cancers that are unique to the salivary glands, as well as the very dangerous melanoma. While the other oral cancers dwarf the occurrence of these, they are a small percentage of the total incidence rate.

Early detection matters. Visit your physician and dentist for regular checkups. In addition, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon can diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions affecting the mouth, jaws, face, head, and neck