Oral Cancer, (Mouth Cancer) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions
By Kenneth Kee
5/5
()
About this ebook
Oral cancer is cancer that affects any part of the mouth, including the tongue and lips.
The most frequent symptoms are having a sore or ulcer for more than three weeks.
Mouth cancer can begin anywhere in the oral cavity:
1. Lips
2. Inside lining of the cheeks and lips (buccal mucosa)
3. Front 2/3 of the tongue
4. Gums (gingiva)
5. Floor of the mouth
6. Roof of the mouth (hard palate)
7. Area behind the wisdom teeth (retro-molar trigone)
The mouth and oro-pharynx help a person breathe, talk, eat, chew and swallow.
Cancer beginning in this area is called oro-phayngeal cancer.
The oro-pharynx is the:
1. Back 1/3 of the tongue
2. Soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft palate)
3. Tonsils and 2 ridges of tissue in front of and behind the tonsils (tonsillar pillars)
4. Back wall of the throat
Cancers starting in the mouth and oro-pharynx can extend to the lymph nodes in the neck because they are close by.
Some people with mouth or oro-pharyngeal cancer often have a surgery to eradicate lymph nodes from the same side of the neck as the cancer.
Occasionally the surgeon might remove them on both sides.
Most oral cancers are a form called squamous cell carcinoma.
These cancers are likely to spread quickly.
1.Smoking and other tobacco usage are linked to most patients of oral cancer.
2.Heavy alcohol use also raises the risk for oral cancer.
3.Chewing betel nut (gutkha) is well-known to cause mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
4. A poor diet may raise the danger of some forms of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
5.Human papilloma virus is a sexually transmitted disorder.
Only a very small percentage of people with HPV form mouth or oro-pharyngeal cancer.
The danger of HPV infection in the mouth and throat is linked to some sexual behaviors, such as oral sex and having a greater number of sexual partners.
6.Chronic infection from ill fitting dentures
7.Weak immune system
8.Abnormal patches in the mouth
a. The red patches are called erythroplakia.
b. White patches are called leukoplakia
Symptoms
1.Mouth ulcers that do not heal
2.Pain in the mouth
3.White or red patches in the mouth
4.Difficulty in swallowing
5.Speech disorders
6.A lump in the neck
Diagnosis
Tests used to confirm oral cancer are:
1. Gum biopsy
2. Tongue biopsy
3. X-rays and CT, MRI and PET scans
Treatment:
Many patients are diagnosed at an early stage because early mouth cancers are more easily noticed.
There is a good likelihood of a cure if it is treated in the early stages.
Surgery to remove the tumor is normally advised if the tumor is small enough.
Surgery may be combined together with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for larger tumors.
Dependent on the form of treatment the patient needs, support treatments that may be required are:
1. Speech therapy
a. Therapy to help with chewing, swallowing
b. Learning to eat enough protein and calories to keep the weight up
c. Ask the doctor about liquid food supplements that can help
Biological therapy is treatment that stop or slow the growth of cancer or destroy cancer cells.
Reconstruction is important in mouth surgery in order to ensure a functional and cosmetic outcome
Even after completing treatment of mouth cancer , patients have to undergo months of rehabilitation to recover speech and swallowing problems following the surgery or treatment.
Speech and swallowing therapy and proper diet with a dietician are important.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Oral Cancer
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Salivary Gland Cancer
Chapter 8 Tongue Cancer
Epilogue
Kenneth Kee
Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 70. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com This autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical disorders. He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"
Read more from Kenneth Kee
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Iodine Deficiency, A Simple Guide to the Condition, Treatment and Related Diseases Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Simple Guide to Skin Fungal Infections, (Updated 2023) Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peripheral Neuropathy, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hyper-Pigmentation Of The Skin A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment, And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Simple Guide to The Pineal Gland (The Third Eye) And Its Function Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Avoidant Personality Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Disorder, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVitamin B12 Deficiency, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Diseases Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Congestive Heart Failure, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Simple Guide to Anemia, Treatment and Related Diseases Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Intestinal Parasitic Diseases, A Simple Guide to These Conditions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shoulder Disorders, A Simple Guide To The condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Improvised Treatment Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lymphedema (Lymph Obstruction), A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSulfur Deficiency, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Oppositional Defiant Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hernia, (Different Types) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dependent Personality Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCase Notes From A Family Doctor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Simple Guide to Psychosis, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLiver Cirrhosis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Diseases Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDelusion Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnkylosing Spondylitis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsElectrolyte Imbalance, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Melasma, (Chloasma) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Simple Guide to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Simple Guide to Oxygen Therapy, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVitamin B1 Deficiency, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Paranoid Personality Disorder, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Oral Cancer, (Mouth Cancer) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions
Related ebooks
Gum Disease, (Gingivitis) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ranula Cyst, (Salivary Cyst) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInflammation and Oral Cancer: From Bench to Bedside Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHalitosis (Bad Breath), A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Practical Oral Medicine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cancers of the Mouth and Throat: A Patient's Guide to Treatment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNeck Lumps, (Cervical Masses) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDental Pulp Infection (Pulpitis) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSurvival Guide for the Dental Patient: How to Pick the Best Dentist, Save Money, and Protect Your Health Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Simple Guide to Bad Breath and Mouth Diseases Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Esophageal Cancer, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis And Treatment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDental Abscess, (Gum Boil) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCleft Lip And Palate, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Simple Guide To Cancers (Updated), Diagnosis, Treatment And Cancer Screening Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnderstanding Periodontal Diseases: Assessment and Diagnostic Procedures in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJaw Pain, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOvarian Cancer, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMammography Screening and Breast Cancer Rates: Breast Cancer Prevention Tips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLung Cancer, A Simple Guide To The Cancer, Types And Treatments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCancer, Common Cancers, A Simple Guide To The Conditions, Diagnosis, Treatment And Updated Cancer Treatments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNail Diseases, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGlue Ear, (Otitis Media with Effusion) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReceding Gums, (Gingival Recession) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeeth for Life for Older Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCervical Cancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAphthous Mouth Ulcers, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Presbycusis, (Age-related hearing loss) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeriodontal Management of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDental Erosion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClinical Oral Microbiology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Wellness For You
The Lost Book of Simple Herbal Remedies: Discover over 100 herbal Medicine for all kinds of Ailment, Inspired By Dr. Barbara O'Neill Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big Book of 30-Day Challenges: 60 Habit-Forming Programs to Live an Infinitely Better Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When the Body Says No Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Lindsay C. Gibson's Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Muscle for Life: Get Lean, Strong, and Healthy at Any Age! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Illustrated Easy Way to Stop Drinking: Free At Last! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sex Hacks: Over 100 Tricks, Shortcuts, and Secrets to Set Your Sex Life on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Oral Cancer, (Mouth Cancer) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Oral Cancer, (Mouth Cancer) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions - Kenneth Kee
Oral Cancer,
(Mouth Cancer)
A
Simple
Guide
To
The Condition,
Diagnosis,
Treatment
And
Related Conditions
By
Dr Kenneth Kee
M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)
Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)
Copyright Kenneth Kee 2017 Smashwords Edition
Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated
To my wife Dorothy
And my children
Carolyn, Grace
And Kelvin
This book describes Oral Cancer, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.
(What The patient Need to Treat Oral Cancer)
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If the patient would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.
If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.
Thank the patient for respecting the hard work of this author.
Introduction
I have been writing medical articles for my blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.
My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.
Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).
I then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.
This autobiolographical account A Family Doctor’s Tale
was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders
into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale
on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.
From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 amazon kindle books and 200 into Smashwords.com eBooks.
Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.
For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.
The later books go into more details of medical disorders.
The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.
Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.
As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.
Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.
I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.
I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.
I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.
Chapter 1
Oral cancer
What is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer is cancer that affects any part of the mouth, including the tongue and lips.
The most frequent symptoms are having a sore or ulcer for more than three weeks.
Mouth cancer can begin anywhere in the oral cavity:
1. Lips
2. Inside lining of the cheeks and lips (buccal mucosa)
3. Front 2/3 of the tongue
4. Gums (gingiva)
5. Floor of the mouth
6. Roof of the mouth (hard palate)
7. Area behind the wisdom teeth (retro-molar trigone)
The mouth and oro-pharynx help a person breathe, talk, eat, chew and swallow.
The pharynx is divided into 3 parts.
1. The oro-pharynx is the part of the throat just behind the mouth.
2. The naso-pharynx
3. The laryngo-pharynx.
Cancer beginning in this area is called oro-phayngeal cancer.
The oro-pharynx is the:
1. Back 1/3 of the tongue
2. Soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft palate)
3. Tonsils and 2 ridges of tissue in front of and behind the tonsils (tonsillar pillars)
4. Back wall of the throat
Cancers starting in the mouth and oro-pharynx can extend to the lymph nodes in the neck because they are close by.
Some people with mouth or oro-pharyngeal cancer often have a surgery to eradicate lymph nodes from the same side of the neck as the cancer.
Occasionally the surgeon might remove them on both sides.
These surgeries are called neck dissections.
Cancer that begins in the lymph nodes is called lymphoma.
This is very unlike a mouth or oro-pharyngeal cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.
Mouth cancer is more frequent in men than women.
1 in 75 men and 1 in 150 women will be diagnosed with mouth cancer at some time in their life.
Men form oral cancer twice as often as women do.
It is more frequent in men older than 40.
More than 40% mouth cancers are found in people over 65 years.
About 4000 new cases of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer are diagnosed every year.
What are the causes of Oral Cancer?
Causes
Oral cancer most often involves the lips or the tongue.
It may also happen on the:
1. Cheek lining (buccal)
2. Floor of the mouth
3. Gums (gingiva)
4. Roof of the mouth (palate)
Most oral cancers are a form called squamous cell carcinoma.
These cancers are likely to spread quickly.
Smoking and other tobacco usage are linked to most patients of oral cancer.
Heavy alcohol use also raises the risk for oral cancer.
Other factors that may raise the risk for oral cancer are:
1. Chronic rubbing (from rough teeth, dentures, or fillings)
2. Human papilloma-virus (HPV) infection (same virus that causes genital warts)
3. Taking medicines that weaken the immune system (immunosuppressants)
4. Poor dental and oral hygiene
Some oral cancers start as a white plaque (leukoplakia) or as a mouth ulcer.
Risk factors
The risk factors of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer are lifestyle factors and other medical disorders.
But there are some factors that may raise the risk of forming it.
Having any of these risk factors does not mean that the patient will definitely form cancer.
1. Alcohol
Drinking alcohol raises the risk of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer, particularly when combined with smoking.
30% of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancers are produced by drinking alcohol.
2. Smoking
Smoking (cigarettes, pipes, cigars) tobacco raises the danger of forming mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
More than 60% of mouth and throat cancers are produced by smoking.
People exposed to second hand smoke (passive smoking) at home or in the workplace have a small rise in their danger of getting mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
3. Chewing tobacco or betel quid
Chewing betel nut (gutkha) or tobacco (smokeless) is well-known to cause mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
It is not a safe substitute to cigarettes.
It is very frequent in parts of Asia, Europe and USA.
4. Diet
A poor diet may raise the danger of some forms of mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer.
This might be because of a lack of vitamins and minerals, such as iron or folic acid.
Poor diet can result in a breakdown in oral mucosa, making it more likely to forming cancer.
A well balanced diet normally indicates the patient is getting enough vitamins and minerals.
5. Human papilloma virus (HPV)
Viruses can induce the formation of some cancers.
The virus can produce cell changes making them more prone to become cancerous in the future.
There are many forms of HPV.
Mouth and oro-pharyngeal cancer are particularly linked to type 16.
Human papilloma virus is a sexually transmitted disorder.
It is very frequent.
HPV causes no damage in most cases and disappears without treatment.
Only a very small percentage of people with