Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth. Most oral cancers begin in the flat cells that cover the surfaces of your mouth, tongue, and lips. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, use tobacco, drink lots of alcohol, have HPV, or have a history of head or neck cancer. Frequent sun exposure is also a risk factor for lip cancer.

Symptoms of oral cancer include

• White or red patches in your mouth
• A mouth sore that won’t heal
• Bleeding in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• Problems or pain with swallowing
• A lump in your neck
• An earache

Tests to diagnose oral cancer include a physical exam, endoscopy, biopsy, and imaging tests. Oral cancer treatments may include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Some patients have a combination of treatments.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

• Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
• Leukoplakia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Oral cancer (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Oral Cancer – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) – PDF
• Swallowing problems (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Tongue biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Understanding Chemotherapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF

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