Mouth Cancer Treatment Techniques

You can find several mouth cancer treatment techniques for curing mouth cancer.

The cancer that starts and spreads in the lining of the mouth is the mouth cancer or cancer of mouth.

In the mouth the common sites which get affected are the lips, tongue and the floor of the mouth.

Apart from these major areas this cancer can also happen in the gums, cheeks and the roof of the mouth, the tonsils, the salivary glands and the hard, soft palate.

People aged above 45 years are said to be at greater risk for this mouth cancer. Also men are considered to be at greater risk than the women. The other risk factors of developing the mouth cancer are smoking and the use of tobacco. The area of the mouth affected by cancer depends on the usage of tobacco product in which position of the mouth.

The other common risk factor of mouth cancer is the alcohol over consumption. Though the mouth cancer can be easily cured when identified at early stage majority of the cases about 50% are reported to the doctor when the disease has reached its advanced stage.

Mouth Cancer Causes

The exact mouth cancer causes are unknown, although tobacco products are thought to play a significant role in about 80 per cent of cases. Risk factors may include:

  • The use of Tobacco may form the major mouth cancer cause
  • Accompanied by regular and heavy alcohol consumption
  • As the age advances the risk of developing the disease also increases
  • Sun exposure
  • Poor non nutritional diet
  • Bad oral hygiene
  • Other gum disease if neglected may lead to cancer as well
  • Habitual chewing of the lips or cheeks
  • Irritants, such as strong mouthwashes or ill-fitting dentures
  • A condition in which white colored patches appear in the mouth is Leukoplakia which may also lead to mouth cancer in due course of time
  • The cold sores in the mouth may also be a threat for this cancer
  • Human papilloma virus infection (warts)
  • Family history of cancer involves the genetic makeup may also be the unknown mouth cancer cause

Various Mouth Cancer Treatment Methods

Mouth cancer treatment depends on the size, type and location of the mouth cancer and whether it has spread, but can include:

  • Surgery – This method of mouth cancer treatment is the most commonly used in majority of the cases. In this if the tumor is small it is surgically removed. An extensive surgery may also be performed to remove the lymph glands on the affected side if the cancer spreads
  • Radiation therapy – This mouth cancer treatment method uses small, precise doses of ionizing radiations to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy at times in few cases may be the only method of mouth cancer treatment needed to destroy the localized early stage mouth cancer.
  • Chemotherapy – the use of cancer-killing drugs, often in combination with surgery and/or radiotherapy. The mouth cancer treatment chemotherapy may sometimes be used to shrink a tumor before surgery.
  • Multi-modal treatments – This involves a combination of treatments like the surgery with radiation therapy and chemotherapy with radiation therapy.
  • Long term monitoring – this mouth cancer treatment method may include regular oral examinations and occasional X-rays to make sure the cancer hasn’t come back.
  • Therapy – When the mouth cancer treatments performed specially the surgery in advanced stage mouth cancer patients the speech therapy, dietary advice and regular medical follow-up will be needed. Apart from this an advice from the clinical psychologists, social workers and counsellors also helps the patients of mouth cancer to lead a better life.