Oral Cancer (Oral Cancer): Overview, Symptoms, and Treatment

Oral cancer, a type of head and neck cancer, usually affects people over the age of 40, especially men. In India alone, 77,003 new cases were reported this year, including 52,067 deaths. Early detection significantly improves survival rates.

Types of oral cancer:

Lip

Tongue

Inner side of the cheek

Yasna

Lower part of the mouth

Common symptoms:

Early signs often go unnoticed. The main symptoms include: non-healing mouth sores, swelling, bleeding, loose teeth, pain when swallowing, sudden lumps, ear pain, numbness, weight loss and red/white patches in the mouth. Smoking, tobacco and alcohol are the main causes.

Stages of oral cancer:

Stage 1–2: Tumor is less than 2 inches, no lymphatic spread.

Stage 3: Tumor larger than 2 inches or spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 4: The cancer has spread outside the mouth or to distant parts of the body.

Treatment options:

Surgery: Tumor removal and reconstruction.

Radiation therapy: Effects on cancer sites.

Chemotherapy: Drugs to kill cancer cells.

Targeted therapy: Directly affects cancer cells.

About 80% of cases are related to smoking. If symptoms are recognized early, the survival rate can be as high as 82%. Regular dental checkups — at least twice a year — are important for early detection and better outcomes. Consult experts like Dr. Sajjan Rajpurohit for the right treatment.