Most people have heard of cancer affecting parts of the body such as lungs or breasts however,cancer can occur in the mouth, where the disease can effect.

ORAL CANCER

introduction

Most people have heard of cancer affecting parts of the body such as lungs or breasts however ,cancer can occur in the mouth , where the disease can effect the lips, tongue, cheeks and throat.

Anyone can be affected by mouth cancer , whether have their own teeth or not. Mouth cancer are more common in people over 40 , particularly men .however ,researches Has shown that mouth cancer is becoming more common in younger patient and in women .there are ,on average ,almost 6500 new cases of mouth cancer diagnosed in the UK each year.

Over 1900 people in UK die from oral cancer every year many of these death could be prevented if the cancer discovered early enough .people with oral cancer are more likely to die than those having cervical cancer or melanoma skin cancer .

What is cancer?

Normally cells they divide to form new cells and they grow, when they get old they die and new cells replace them.

When these processes does not happen the way they suppose to be happening then extra cells will be form and they will form a mass, and this is call cancer.

Swelling it either odontogenic ,non odontogenic.

Odontogenic tumors originate from odotogenic apparatus or it remnant.

According to behavior classified in to : A)benign . b)malignant. Non adontogenic tumors not originated

from odontogenic apparatus and according to behavior it classified into :

A)benign. B)malignant. Clinical feature of benign tumors in oral

cavity: 1-common age :adult. 2-common site:

1-mucosa of cheek. 2-gingiva. 3-palate. 4-lip. 5-tongue. Treatment: The lesion not potential to malignant so it

respond to local excision.

Clinical feature of malignant tumors in oral cavity:

Common age old patient. Common in male than femal.

What is oral cancer?

This is cancer that occurs in the oral cavity and part of the throat at the back of the mouth.

This includes: Lips Hard and soft palate & uvula Salivary glands Tongue Oropharynx Floor of the mouth

The cause of oral cancer is not fully understood but it

has shown that people developing oral cancer, they

have been exposed to certain risk factors

WHAT THE ETIOLOGY OF ORALcancer

Tobacco and alcohol, are most etiological factors .

One of them can cause censer alone but if they consumed together the risk is even greater.

Overexposure to sunlight can also increase the risk of cancer of the lips . There are link between oral cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV)

HIV

Diet. Dental factor. Genetic factor. Occupational factor. The most common bening tumars in oral

cavity is fibroma,papilloma. The most common malignant tumors

squamus cell carcinoma.

Signs of oral cancer

Painless mouth ulcer that dose not heal normally .

White or red patch in the mouth can also develop in to cancer .

Its important to visit your dentist if there area do not heal within three weeks .

Why : Because:

Full check –up of the mouth so the dentist is able to see parts of mouth that you cannot see easily yourself .

If your dentist finds something unusual or abnormal the will refer you to a consultant at local hospital and biopsy have taken to examine the lesion microscopically .

If the microscopic examination shone cancerous cells more tests will be carried out ,they may include overall health checks ,blood tests , x-ray or scans .these testes will decide what course of treatment is needed .

How can I make sure that my mouth stays healthy ?

Its important to visit your dentist regularly ,as often as they recommend ,even if you wear dentures . This is especially important if you smoke and drink alcohol .

When brushing your teeth ,look out for any changes in your mouth ,and report any red or white patches ,or ulcers ,that have not cleared up to three weeks.

When exposed to the sun ,be sure to use a good protective sun cream ,and put correct type of barrier cream on your lips.

A good diet ,rich in vitamins A,C and E , provides protection agents the development of oral cancer .plenty of fruit and vegetables help the body to protect it self ,in general ,from most cancer.

Cut down on your smoking and drinking .

Primary prevention

So it is important to educate people about oral cancer and its risk factors

Here we target young children when they are still growing up by educating them not to smoke and drink alcohol and not to follow the bad habits of taking them

Also when advising them about this we should also tell them how these factors contribute to oral cancer

So in order for people to avoid these risk factors it is very important that their knowledge about oral cancer is enough in order for them to change their lifestyle

Secondary prevention

This focus more on the early detection of the cancer before it reaches the stage where no help can be done

So early detection can help in the improvement of the quality of treatment and the prognosis of the cancer

This includes oral cancer screening

Smoking Using of sunscreen

Conclusion

Regular visits to your dentist could save your life.