What is oral cancer?
Oral Cancer can be defined as a malignant growth of any tissue or tissues in any part of the mouth such as throat, lips and tongue. Reports say every five out of ten patients affected by oral cancer die despite the treatment. As compared to skin melanoma, cervical cancer, or breast cancer, oral cancer has higher proportion of deaths per number of cases. In other words, mouth cancers have an appallingly fifty percent mortality rate per year. This is due to the fact many patients do not visit a San Francisco dentist who can detect the cancerous tissue at an early stage.
How common is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer has been reported to be the sixth most common cancer which accounts for a big share of all types of cancers diagnosed around the world. This is as common as leukemia, and men, especially those over forty years, are more likely to have an oral cancer than women. Oral cancers can usually be found in different area of the mouth such as tongue, the floor of the mouth, soft palate tissues in the back of the tongue, lips and gums. However, a San Francisco dentist will tell you that oral cancers can also be found at any places other than these common areas of the mouth.
Early Signs of Oral Cancer
Even a simple ailment such as mouth ulcer can develop into an oral cancer. Hence, you must visit a San Francisco dentist like Monica to detect it at a very early stage. More often than not, mouth ulcers that won’t heal quickly could be the symptom of an oral cancer. If you are in the habit of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol a lot, you are more at risk of getting an oral cancer. If not detected at an early stage, oral cancer can lead to loss of function, oral disfigurement post surgery, chronic pain and even death. Consult a qualified San Francisco dentist who can perform a thorough screening of an oral cancer.
