Oral cancer: Know these symptoms for early detection
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Oral cancer or Squamous Cell Carcinoma is a type of cancer that appears on any part of the mouth, including the tongue, gums, lips and insides of the cheek. This could be treated if the symptoms are identified early. Here are a few of the symptoms you can watch out for:
Sores
A sore that doesn’t heal could be a symptom of oral cancer. Do not hesitate to consult a medical practitioner if the sore in the mouth doesn’t heal even after two weeks. These sores could get extremely painful by the final stages of cancer.
White or red patches inside mouth
Unusual white (leukoplakia) or red (erythroplakia) patches inside the mouth shouldn’t be ignored.
Lumps
Lumps inside the lips, gums or around the mouth could be a symptom of cancer. The lumps are unlikely to disappear; besides these lumps might grow in size too.
Pain while swallowing
A piercing pain in the throat while swallowing or a feeling that something is caught in the back of your mouth may be a symptom. You may also feel a burning sensation while chewing food.
Change in voice
Lumps could appear on the throat as the lymph nodes on the neck get swollen. This is an indicator that the cancer has spread from the mouth to other parts.
Chronic weight loss
You may experience chronic weight loss, even without dieting, due to difficulty in swallowing food.
Bad breath
Bad breath is not unnatural. However, prolonged and intense bad breath could be a symptom of oral cancer.
Loose teeth
Oral cancer may lead to poor dental health including loose teeth.
Numbness
Unexplained numbness or bleeding in any part of the mouth may be a symptom of severe diseases like oral cancer.
Importance of detecting early
Recognising the symptoms and detecting the disease early is important for timely medical intervention. Some of these symptoms could appear even if you don’t have cancer. However, do not delay in getting medical help if these symptoms persist for more than two weeks. Tests like biopsies could be done to determine the treatment plan. Smoking, alcoholism, poor oral health and family history of oral cancer are some of the factors that increases the risk of oral cancer.