Smoking And Oral Cancer

Mouth cancer, or oral cancer, can occur anywhere in the mouth, on the surface of the tongue, the lips, inside the cheek, in the gums, in the roof and floor of the mouth, in the tonsils, and in the salivary glands.

Cancer results when a genetic mutation instructs cells to grow without control. Untreated, oral cancer will start in one part of the mouth, then spread to other parts of the mouth, to the head and neck, and the rest of the body. Mouth cancers typically start in the squamous cells that line the lips and the inside of the mouth. This is called squamous cell carcinoma.

Effect of tobacco on the mouth depend on the way it is used.

The most common symptoms of mouth cancer are:

• sore mouth ulcersthat don’t heal within several weeks
• unexplained, persistent lumps in the mouth that don’t go away
• unexplained, persistent lumps in the lymph glands in the neck that don’t go away

Other symptoms may include:

• pain or difficulty when swallowing (dysphagia)
• changes in your voice or speech problems
• unexplained weight loss
• bleeding or numbness in the mouth
• a tooth, or teeth, that becomes loose for no obvious reason, or a tooth socket that doesn’t heal
• difficulty moving your jaw
• red or white patches on the lining of your mouth – these are common and are very rarely cancerous, but they can sometimes turn into cancer, so it’s worth seeing a specialist if you have them

The danger is that smokers are three time more likely than non-smokers to develop mouth cancer and seven times more likely to be diagnosed with throat cancer, while a morning cigarette has been shown to double those chances further. If smoking is combined with alcohol consumption, the risks of contracting the disease increase significantly.  But it is never too late to make a difference…. So stop smoking and keep healthy.