Oral Cancer Screening
Cancer is one of the most stubborn diseases humanity has faced so far. A mutation in cell proliferation leads to uncontrolled cell division that invades neighbouring cells and can even send metastasis to distant locations. Even with the most recent research, what causes a normal cell to become cancerous is still unknown. All we can investigate so far is the risk factors that may lead to cancer.
Oral cancer or mouth cancer is the most common head and neck cancer. It is a type of cancer that attacks any of the oral structures. The thing about oral cancer is that it is an aggressive type of cancer with a high mortality rate due to its late diagnosis. Oral cancer can resemble other oral diseases which is responsible for late detection. Early detection plays a key factor in the survival rate of oral cancer.
Dulwich Dental Office, a world-class diagnostic centre in London, offers oral cancer screening. Because early detection saves lives, our dental experts routinely check any suspicious lesions they may notice during check-ups to rule out cancer.
Oral Cancer Facts
- Head and neck cancer is the most common type of cancer.
- Oral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer.
- The most common location of oral cancer is the tongue.
- Men are more likely to get oral cancer than women.
- Oral cancer is more common in the age group above 60 years old.
Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Oral cancer can appear in many forms that may be similar to oral diseases. This resemblance can lead to the delayed detection of oral cancer. Oral cancer may have the form of a white (leukoplakia), red (erythroplakia), or mixed white and red lesion (erythroleukoplakia). The common forms of oral cancer include:
- An ulcer that doesn’t heal within two weeks.
- Rough crusty areas on your tongue, cheek, or gums.
- Lesion on your lip that bleeds easily.
- Unexplained pain or numbness.
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing.
- Earache.
- Bad breath.
- Loose teeth.
- Weight loss.
These symptoms may be mistaken for other dental diseases such as oral infection, gum diseases, or poorly fitting dentures that cause rubbing against the surrounding soft tissue. It is essential to differentiate between oral cancer and other diseases. If you have any suspicions regarding an oral disease especially if it is not healing, easily bleeds, or with no apparent cause, schedule a consultation visit with our experts.
Causes of Oral Cancer
The definite reason behind oral cancer is unknown. The cancer develops when an unknown stimulus causes alteration in the cell DNA. The DNA represents a unique fingerprint for each body, holding all a person’s genetic characteristics, and gives the growth orders to the cells. When a cell becomes cancerous the DNA provides a different growth signal to the cells to multiply rapidly in an abnormal form leading to a cancerous mass—this mass can fragment to send distant small masses to other parts of the body known as metastasis.
Although being of unknown cause, several factors may increase your risk of developing oral cancer including
- Tobacco and smokeless tobacco were found to be associated with a large number of patients with oral cancer.
- Drinking alcohol.
- Exposure to the sun for a long time without sunblock (may be responsible for lip cancer).
- Genetics and family background.
- Certain viruses, such as Human Papilloma Virus.
- Weakened immune system.
A combination of two or more of these factors may even increase the risk of developing oral cancer. The most common combination related to oral cancer is smoking and drinking alcohol.
Oral Cancer Screening at Dulwich Dental Office
Dulwich Dental Office is a leading dental facility in London with a world-class diagnostic centre. We offer our patients comprehensive check-ups to detect early progressing dental diseases and maintain oral health.
If you have an existing lesion that may be suspicious, our experts always investigate its history and symptoms to rule out cancer. Unfortunately, the worldwide survival rate of oral cancer is still below 50% because of late diagnosis. At Dulwich Dental Office we know how early detection saves lives, therefore we take any suspicious lesion seriously to be safe. The diagnostic process for oral cancer is performed as follows:
Physical examination
An existing lesion is thoroughly investigated and history is collected. Our experts will conduct a detailed questionnaire regarding. Your oral cavity will be examined to search for any obvious dental cause for the lesion. When oral cancer is suspected, our dental experts will go further with diagnostic tests to rule out cancer.
Biopsy
Taking a sample of the lesion to be pathologically examined under a microscope is an important tool to reach a definite diagnosis. Biopsy is collected under anesthetic effect so you will not feel any pain.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a procedure where a small camera is inserted inside your throat to examine the areas that cannot be seen during the regular visual examination. This procedure is useful to see if oral cancer lesions progressed beyond your mouth.
Imaging
Imaging using MRI, CT, and PET scans is a valuable diagnostic tool to detect cancer metastasis in the body.
Treatment and Prognosis of Oral Cancer
An accurate treatment plan for oral cancer depends on the collected results gathered through biopsy and imaging to determine the oral cancer stage. The cancer staging system is called the TNM staging system where T indicates the tumor size, N is the lymph node involvement, and M is for the tumor metastasis. The oral cancer stages are:
- Stage 1: the cancerous lesion measures 2 cm or less without lymph node involvement nor metastasis.
- Stage 2: the cancerous lesion is 2-4 cm without lymph node involvement nor metastasis.
- Stage 3: the cancer lesion measures more than 4 cm with one lymph involvement but without metastasis.
- Stage 4: the cancer lesion is more than 4 cm, there is more than one lymph node involvement, and there may be metastasis.
The treatment solutions for oral cancer involve one or more of the following:
- Surgery
Surgical removal of the oral cancer lesion is one of the most common treatment solutions. The surgical procedure depends on the lesion size and its extension in the surrounding tissue and lymph node. During cancerous lesion removal, it is essential to include a safety margin to avoid cancer recurrence. A subsequent reconstructive surgery may be required to compensate for the excised oral structure if bone excision was involved in the tumor removal surgery.
- Radiation therapy
When the cancer lesion is small, radiotherapy may be used to avoid surgical complications. Radiotherapy involves the use of powerful radiation beam or radioactive products to kill the cancer cells. Radiotherapy may also be used following surgical treatment to kill any remaining cancerous cells.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves injecting strong medicines into your body. It is used in combination with radiotherapy or surgery to increase their effectiveness. Chemotherapy’s side effects include nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. These side effects depend on the number of chemotherapy sessions and medicine concentration.
- Immunotherapy
This treatment solution stimulates the body’s immune system to fight the cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy involves using medications specifically designed in the lab to target and kill cancerous cells. The prognosis of oral cancer depends on its stage. The earlier the diagnosis and treatment the better the prognosis.
Prevention of Oral Cancer
- Quit smoking and decrease your alcohol intake.
- Always use sunscreen before exposure to the sun.
- Consult your healthcare provider about taking the human papillomavirus vaccine.
- Maintain regular check-ups for early detection of any oral diseases, and if you experience any suspicious lesion schedule a visit immediately without waiting for your regular check-up appointment.
- Keep a healthy diet and lifestyle habits.
FAQs
Oral cancer is an abnormal proliferation of the tissue lining the oral cavity due to a mutation in the DNA.
The exact reason behind oral cancer is still unknown, however, several risk factors were found to be associated with oral cancer, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, exposure to UV rays without protection, and human papillomavirus.
Suspect oral cancer if you experience an unhealing oral lesion, a lesion that bleeds easily, or a large painless lesion without apparent cause.
Oral cancer may come in many forms and may resemble other dental diseases, such as white, red, or mixed white and red areas, ulcers, numbness, or rough crusty lesions on the tongue.
Oral cancer is diagnosed using visual examination, history taking, and biopsy. Further tests may be needed to determine the oral cancer stage, such as imaging and endoscopy.
Oral cancer treatment solutions involve surgical excision with safety margins, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. The treatment may require a combination of more than one of these treatment solutions.
Follow these practices to avoid oral cancer: quit smoking, decrease alcohol consumption, follow a healthy lifestyle, maintain regular check-ups, and take the human papillomavirus vaccine.
Early detection is essential for the prognosis of oral cancer. This is why Dulwich Dental Office experts perform oral cancer screening during regular check-ups every 6 months.
Oral cancer is a fast-progressing type of cancer, it may take a few months for oral cancer to grow and spread to nearby structures and distant locations.
Around 50% of oral cancer patients have a 5-year survival rate. The treatment and prognosis of oral cancer depend mainly on early detection. Early detection saves lives.
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FILLINGS
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HYGIENIST
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AIR ABRASION
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CHILDRENS DENTISTRY
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At Dulwich Dental Office, we provide comprehensive dental care for NHS and private patients throughout Dulwich and London. Our aim is to make exceptional dentistry accessible, comfortable, and personalised for everyone who visits our practice. From simple preventive treatments to advanced smile transformations, our experienced dentists offer expert solutions tailored to your needs. Whether you need a dental examination in East Dulwich, a filling in Peckham Rye, Invisalign treatment in Dulwich, veneers in Marylebone, or full dental implants in Knightsbridge, you can rely on our skilled team for outstanding care.
Our practice offers a wide variety of treatments, including routine check-ups, hygiene appointments, fillings, crowns, bridges, veneers, braces, Invisalign, teeth whitening, composite bonding, emergency dental treatments, dentures, prosthodontics, bone grafting and implant dentistry in London. We use modern techniques to provide comfortable treatment and long-lasting results while helping patients maintain excellent oral health.
We welcome patients from Nunhead, Peckham, Old Kent Road, Camberwell and Herne Hill, many of whom choose us because of our professional service, caring environment, and commitment to patient satisfaction.
Whether you are looking for a family dentist, cosmetic dentist or specialist dental treatment in London, Dulwich Dental Office is here to help. Schedule your consultation today and take the first step towards achieving a smile you can be proud of.
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