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Oral Cancer
Early Detection is Your Best Protection
Of all cancers, oral cancer has one of the highest mortality rates: it's
both painless and sneaky in the early stages, often going undetected until
it's advanced beyond what can be effectively battled by cancer treatments.
Typically, it's associated with five common risk factors. Tops among these
factors is the use of any kind of tobacco product—80-90% of oral
cancer victims either chew, dip snuff, or smoke cigarettes, cigars, and/or
pipes. Another high-risk behavior is consistent consumption of large quantities
of alcohol. And for those who use both tobacco and alcohol, risks are
compounded. Other risk factors include constant exposure to sunlight,
chronic lip or cheek biting, and poorly fitting dentures…all of which
often produce oral sores or small, whitish patches inside the mouth or
on the lips. Although not entirely understood, these 'leukoplakia' patches
may create areas of chronic irritation, excessive cell growth, and eventually,
cancer.
Early detection can buy treatment time and save your life. That's why Dr. Shannon is so meticulous about checking every aspect of your lips, mouth, gums, tongue and other oral tissues during your regular check-ups. He'll look for whitish patches, persistent mouth sores, tissue color changes, spots of pain, tenderness, or numbness, or any changes in your bite over time. He'll also discuss harmful lifestyle habits and ask about difficulties chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving your jaw and tongue. Finally, if there's any area of concern, he may even order a biopsy to rule out a problem.
Of course, your best weapon against oral cancer is to avoid risk factors: stopping tobacco and alcohol use will not only improve your health status, but lower your risk for other problems as well; sunscreen use, elimination of 'biting habits', and careful fitting of dentures/removable appliances can also save you many future problems.
