Oral cancer usually originates in the mouth which is medically known as the oral cavity. The oral cavity includes the tongue, teeth, cheeks, gums, inner lips, the bottom of the mouth and the bony region of the mouth. Oral cancer may also originate in the oropharynx region that is behind the mouth. The oral cavity is one of the most important parts of a body as it lets us speak, breathe and eat. Oral cancer may develop in any part of the oral cavity. As each part is different, oral cancer has different types and the treatment for Oral Cancer is different for each part.
The type of treatment that your doctor will suggest will totally depend on the location of the tumour and the size of it. The different stages of oral cancer are discussed here:
- Stage0
This is the very first stage where the cancer has just started growing on the outer surface and will grow deeper if it is not treated in time. Almost all of the people having this stage will survive a long time without the need for intense treatment.
- Stage I and II
These are the serious stages. Intense treatment is necessary.
Cancer specific regions:
Lips
Surgeries are preferred for the small type of cancers. Radiation can also be used for the treatment, but surgery might be necessary if the radiation does not completely erode of the tumour. If the tumour has grown thick, the chance that cancer might have reached deeper to the lymph nodes increases a lot and the surgeon may surgically remove the nodes from the neck.
Oral cavity
For the tumours that might have grown on the floor of the mouth, inside of the check or near the gums, front of the tongue or the hard plate, surgery would be the best treatment. Radiation is also another method that can be used instead of surgery for the people who cannot undergo surgery due to some medical conditions.
Oropharynx
For the type of cancer that occurs at the back of the tongue, the soft palate and the tonsil area, the main and the best treatment would be radiation therapy which is directly aimed at the Cancer and the lymph nodes near the neck.
- Stages III, IV and IVA
- The oral cavity cancer
The III and IVA stages of cancer originate in the floor of the mouth, front of the tongue and the cheeks and gums usually include big cancer that has affected the nearby tissues and nodes. They have to be treated with both radiation and surgery.
- Oropharyngeal Cancer
These are the type of cancer that grows in the back side of the tongue along with the tonsils. These are large cancers that have attached itself to the nearby tissues and chemotherapy with radiation and cetuximab is required is to treat them. One of the best ways is to first Operate cancer and then chemotherapy is used. This is by far one of the most effective ways in the mouth cancer treatment.
