Oral Cancer Screening
What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer, sometimes referred to as mouth cancer, is cancer that affects any part of the mouth or oral cavity. Oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, gums, tongue, cheeks, jaw, the roof of the mouth, or the floor of the mouth. A broader category of oral cancers, oropharyngeal cancers, also include those that affect parts of the neck, throat, and pharynx.Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer
Signs and symptoms of oral cancer can include:- Changes in the texture of the soft tissues inside your mouth
- Sores that do not heal or go away on their own
- Spots inside the mouth that are red, white, or white with red speckles
- Lumps and bumps in the cheeks, face, throat, or neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Sore throat
- The feeling of having something caught in the throat
- Hoarseness or loss of voice
- Pain in the ear, mouth, face, or throat
- Bad breath
- Persistent cough
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Oral Cancer Risk Factors
The following factors could put you at an elevated risk of developing oral cancer:- Tobacco use of any kind
- Heavy alcohol use (including regular use of mouthwash containing alcohol)
- Significant sun exposure
- A previous oral cancer diagnosis