Mouth Cancer Overview

Mouth cancer includes tongue cancer, lip cancer, cancers of the oral cavity and the oropharynx. Mouth cancer makes up two to four percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States with 30,000 new cases of mouth and tongue cancer diagnosed annually. Mouth Cancer Survival Rates and Prognosis Mouth, tongue, and oropharynx cancers generally have a poor prognosis. Approximately 8,000 Americans die every year... Read more >

Risk Factors

Certain factors increase the chance of developing oral or tongue cancer. Most cases of tongue or oral cancer occur over age forty, with the highest incidence after sixty. Men are twice as likely as women to develop tongue cancer, and African-American men are at greater risk than Caucasians. Smoking Cigarettes and Pipe Tobacco Smoking is the single greatest risk factor for tongue and oral cancer. Smokers are... Read more >

Symptoms

Tongue and mouth cancers are often advanced at the time of diagnosis. In part, this is because both mouth cancer symptoms and tongue cancer symptoms are difficult to detect in their early stages. Often no pain is felt and very few visual symptoms are apparent until the cancer is well advanced. In some cases, swollen lymph nodes in the neck are the first sign of mouth or tongue cancer.   Tongue and mouth... Read more >

Diagnosis

Early mouth cancer and tongue cancer diagnosis improves both prognosis and survival rates. Mouth cancer diagnosis requires examinations by a medical doctor or dentist, whose expertise in mouth diseases extends beyond teeth and gum care. In any case, diagnosis of oral cavity cancers usually begins with the health professional taking a detailed dental history. Physical Examination of the Oral Cavity The doctor or... Read more >

Treatments

Treating Tongue Cancer and Other Oral Cancers Treatments for tongue cancer and oral cancer vary depending on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are all used to treat mouth cancers. Staging Mouth and Tongue Cancers Mouth and tongue cancers are staged according to the TNM system, which measures tumor size (T), lymph node involvement (N), and metastasis... Read more >

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Mouth cancer, otherwise known as oral cancer, is a type of cancer that begins in any part of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Many oral cancers begin in the flat cells, or squamous cells that cover the inner mouth, tongue and lips.   When cancer metastasizes or spreads, it travels through the lymphatic system and is carried along by the lymph, a clear watery fluid. This causes the mouth cancer to spread to... Read more >

Coping with Chemotherapy

If you have received a mouth cancer diagnosis, you and your doctor or oncologist may have already devised a treatment plan.   The most common treatment plans include one or a combination of the following treatment options: alternative therapy chemotherapy radiation therapy surgery. Chemotherapy is a type of mouth cancer treatment in which you are given medication either orally or... Read more >

Mouth Cancer Diet

Research continues to tie poor diet to many different diseases, including mouth cancer. In fact, claims by the National Cancer Institute state that at least one-third or more of cancer-related deaths are the result of improper food choices. A healthy diet plays a role in controlling obesity, which is a major factor in some illnesses. However, the ingredients found in some foods go much deeper than... Read more >