Side effects of treatment

Some side effects of surgery may be a change in the patient’s ability to talk, chew, or swallow, especially if a large tumor is removed. The patient may also look different.

Radiation therapy may make the mouth sore and it can change the amount of saliva produced, making chewing and swallowing difficult. A decrease in saliva can also cause tooth decay. Radiation therapy may also make the patient very tired, so resting is important. Also, the skin may become red and dry, tender, itchy, and then moist and “weepy”. Men may lose all or part of their beard, but the facial hair usually returns after treatment is finished.

Patients being treated for oral cancer often have a sore mouth, causing serious weight loss. Eating several small meals and snacks during the day may help, as can eating soft, bland foods with sauces and gravies. Soups, puddings, and high-protein milkshakes may be more easily tolerated.

Other side effects may include a lowered immune system (so patients get sick easier), nausea, vomiting, inability to wear dentures, and loss of appetite.

Rehabilitation after treatment

Rehabilitation usually begins as soon as possible after treatment. This may include:

* Dietary counseling
* Surgery – reconstructive or plastic surgery
* Prosthesis – if surgery cannot be performed, then a dental or facial-part prosthesis may be used to help the patient look more normal
* Speech therapy – the patient may need help learning to speak again

Risk factors

There are several risk factors that increase the chance of developing oral cancer. These include:

* Exposure of the skin, especially the lips, to the sun
* Tobacco use
* Alcohol use, especially beer and hard liquor
* Poor diet, especially if it is low in fruits and fiber
* Chronic irritation to the mouth and upper throat, such as poorly fitting dentures or dental appliances
* Poor dental hygiene and gum disease
* Over 45 years old
* Male
* African-American

Also, using mouthwashes with high alcohol content, or having herpes simplex or human papilloma virus (HPV), may also be related to oral cancer.

Prevention

According to the National Cancer Institute, tobacco use is responsible for more than 90 percent of oral cancer in men and 60 percent in women, and is responsible for 90 percent of oral cancer deaths in men. People who stop smoking cigarettes reduce the risk of developing oral cancer by 50 percent within 3 to 5 years and return to the normal risk within 10 years.

Heavy cigar use is especially associated with oral cancer development. Marijuana use has been shown to be a cause of oral cancer in younger people.

Since the risk of oral cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day as well as the number of alcoholic drinks consumed per day, stopping both drinking and smoking lessens the risk of oral cancer considerably.

Other lifestyle changes that can decrease oral cancer risk include increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet, which can lower the risk by 30 to 50 percent. Using sun block on the lips, either as colored lipstick or as lip balm with sunscreen, lowers the incidence of cancer on the lip, especially the lower lip.

Screening

Regular checkups by both dentists and physicians help detect oral cancer in the early stages, when the cancer is the most treatable. Ninety percent of oral cancers occur on the floor of the mouth, the front one-third of the tongue, and the soft palate, so these areas should be closely inspected. Leukoplakia (white patches) and erythroplakia (red lesions), which are precancerous changes, should be treated.

Monthly self-examinations are easily done using a mirror and looking for any changes in the mouth.

People who have had previous oral cancer are at higher risk of developing a new cancer of the mouth or another part of the head and neck. Vitamin A is currently being studied for protective properties against these secondary cancers.

Treatment for oral cancer is most successful when the disease is diagnosed in its earliest stages and the necessary lifestyle changes are made.