What You Should Know About Oral Cancer Screening Oregon

By Karina Frost


Cancer in the mouth is a type of head and neck cancer. It is described as any cancerous tissue growth that is located in your oral cavity. Many thousands of people are affected by this disease every year, and many people die from it. Educating yourself about oral cancer screening oregon may prevent this from happening to you or your family members.

This disease affects people globally. As of 2010, more than 124,000 people have died of oral cancer. This is up from 82,000 who died from it in 1990. Nearly 37,000 Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with the disease in the coming year. Of these 37,000 new cases, about half will survive for five years or more. More than two-thirds will be diagnosed at stage three and four, which are late stages of the disease. The actual death rate for mouth cancer tends to be higher than cancers of the cervix, skin, and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The survival rate for this disease depends on many factors, such as the site of the growth and the stage at which it is diagnosed. The survival rate tends to be around 57 percent at five years regardless of gender, ethnicity, age group, and modes of treatment. However, the survival rate for stage one of the disease is approximately ninety percent. This is why doctors emphasize screening and early detection to increase survival rates for patients.

If you notice a skin lesion, ulcer or lump that does not heal in two weeks, this could be a sign of the disease. Some of the symptoms to look for is a lump on the tongue, the lip, or some other area of the mouth. It is usually small and pale colored, but it can also show as a dark or discolored bump or sore. Initially, the bump may be painless, but this may not always be the case.

In certain Eastern countries, submucous fibrosis of the mouth is a common disease. It is often manifested by a limited capacity for opening the mouth, accompanied by a burning sensation when eating spicy foods. It is important to note, that this lesion tends to be a progressive one, and the opening of the mouth can become increasingly limited over time. This is serious because, as time goes on, trying to eat normally becomes very hard for the patient.

There are many screening devices that doctors and dentists may use to detect oral cancer. Some of these devices include the Velscope, the identafi 3000 or the Vizilite Plus. Doctors need to be careful that these devices do not harm the patient through over use, or produce false positives that may lead to unnecessary biopsies.

Although tobacco is a significant risk factor, some studies suggest that alcohol based mouthwashes may also pose certain risks. Some scientists claimed that constantly exposing the mouth to these alcohol-based rinses could lead to a greater increase in the risk of developing oral cancer, even if the user does not smoke or drink alcohol.

Surgical removal of the mouth tumor is often recommended if it is small enough. This may produce satisfactory results. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy is also used along with surgery, particularly if the tumor is considered to be inoperable.




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