Mouth cancer

Many people who develop mouth cancer have no risk factors. However, you may be at additional risk of developing mouth cancer in the following instances:

• You have previously had head and neck cancer
• You take immuno-suppressive medication
• You have prolonged sun exposure (lip cancer)
• You are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV oral cancer)
• You have oral lichen planus
• You have been exposed to radiation
• You chew betel quid (a type of herbal stimulant).

Early warning signs of mouth cancer include abnormal patches of skin within the mouth:

• Erythroplakia – A red, raised patch of skin that bleeds if scraped. About 70% of erythroplakias are cancerous or pre-cancerous.
• Leukoplakia – A white spot or patch of skin. About 25% of leukoplakias are cancerous or pre-cancerous.
• Erythroleukoplakia – A patch of skin with both white and red areas.

Other symptoms include:

• Oral ulcers or sores that are painful and do not heal
• A lump in the neck, face, jaw, cheek, tongue or gums
• Unexplained loose teeth
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving the tongue or jaw
• Dentures that cause discomfort or do not fit well
• Bad breath
• Weight loss.

If you are diagnosed with mouth cancer, your condition will be graded based on its severity. Assigning a stage to your condition helps your consultant determine the best course of treatment for you.

There are three staging points for mouth cancer:

• T – The size of the primary tumour and how much it has invaded surrounding tissues
• N – Whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
• M – Whether the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body (usually the lungs).

The size of the tumour (staging point T) is graded from numbers one through to five. The higher the number, the larger and more invasive the tumour is considered to be.