Oral cancers can grow virtually anywhere in your mouth and throat, including the lips, gums, tongue, hard palate, soft palate, tonsils, and insides of the cheeks. [4] X Trustworthy Source National Cancer Institute An agency in the National Institutes of Health focused on cancer research and patient support Go to source Teeth are the only parts that can’t develop cancer. Consider buying, or borrowing from your dentist, a small dental mirror in order to help you examine your mouth more thoroughly. Brush your teeth and floss before examining your mouth. If your gums normally bleed after brushing or flossing, rinse with some warm salt water and wait a few minutes before examining.
Although canker sores and other ulcers are usually very painful, leukoplakia aren’t typically, unless they’re in advanced stages. Cankers are most common on the inner lips, cheeks and sides of the tongue, whereas leukoplakia can be anywhere in the mouth. With good hygiene, canker sores and other small abrasions and cuts usually heal within a week or so. In contrast, leukoplakia don’t go away and often become larger and more painful with time. In general, any white sore or lesion in your mouth that lasts longer than 2 weeks should be evaluated by a medical professional.
Canker sores are initially red before ulcerating and turning white. In contrast, erythroplakia stay red and don’t go away after a week or so. Herpes lesions can occur in the mouth, but are much more common on the borders of the outer lip. Erythroplakia are always inside the mouth. Blisters and irritation from eating acidic foods can also mimic erythroplakia, but they’re quick to disappear. Any red sore or lesion that does not go away after two weeks should be evaluated by a medical professional.
Gingivitis (swollen gums) can often cover-up potentially dangerous lumps, but gingivitis will usually bleed with brushing and flossing — early cancerous lumps don’t. A lump or thickening of the tissues in the mouth can often affect the fit and comfort of dentures, which can be the first sign of oral cancer. Always be concerned of a lump that keeps growing or a rough patch that spreads within the mouth. Rough patches in the mouth can also be caused by chewing tobacco, abrasions from dentures, dry mouth (lack of saliva) and Candida infections. Any lump or rough patch in your mouth that doesn’t go away after 2-3 weeks should be seen by a medical professional.
Sudden, severe pain is usually a tooth/nerve issue, and not an early sign of oral cancer. Chronic soreness or achy pain that gets worse with time is more concerning, but is still often a dental issue that can be easily remedied by a dentist. Gnawing pain that spreads around your mouth and causes the lymph nodes around your jaw and neck to get inflamed is of significant concern and should always be looked at immediately. Any prolonged numbness or sensitivity of your lips, mouth or throat also warrants more attention and investigation.
If you’re elderly, don’t always assume poor fitting dentures are to blame for not being able to chew normally. If they once fit well, then something in your mouth has changed. Mouth cancer, particularly of the tongue or cheeks, can cause you to bite down on your own tissues more often while chewing. If you’re an adult and your teeth become loose or crooked, make an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can.
Throat cancer can cause swelling and narrowing of the esophagus (the tube that leads to your stomach), as well as a chronically inflamed throat that hurts with each swallow. Cancer of the esophagus is known for a rapidly progressive dysphagia, or problems swallowing. Throat cancer can also cause numbness in your throat and/or the feeling that something is caught there, like a “frog” in the throat. Cancer of the tonsils and back half of the tongue can also cause great difficulty swallowing.
Sudden, unexplained changes to your voice may indicate the presence of a lesion on or near your vocal chords. Due to a feeling of something caught in their throat, people with oral cancer sometimes develop an audible tic of constantly trying to clear their throats. An airway obstruction due to cancer can also change how you speak and the quality of your voice.
In addition to a mouth exam (including your lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, tonsils and throat) your neck, ears, and nose should also be looked at to determine the cause of your problem. Your doctor or dentist will also ask you about risky behaviors (tobacco smoking and alcohol use) and your family history, as some cancers have a genetic link. Be aware that people over 40 years of age, especially if they are male and of African American descent, are considered at higher risk for oral cancers.
Putting toluidine blue dye over a cancerous area in your mouth will make the diseased tissue stain a darker blue than surrounding healthy tissue. Sometimes infected or injured tissue also stains dark blue, so it’s not a definitive test for cancer, just a visual guide. To be sure of cancer, a tissue sample (biopsy) needs to be taken and looked at under a microscope by a cancer specialist. This way you can get an accurate diagnosis.
If an abnormal area of the mouth is suspected, a tissue biopsy is usually performed. Alternatively, sometimes the abnormal tissue can be evaluated by exfoliative cytology, where the suspected lesion is scraped with a stiff brush and the cells looked at microscopically.
