Advice on Oral Cancer Prevention and Care during Treatment

Do you know that oral cancer is the eleventh most commonly found cancer across the world? In 2012, approximately 300,000 cases and 145,000 deaths were reported worldwide due to oral cancer. And, the cases have increased over eight years.

People who consume tobacco and excessive alcohol are at higher risk of developing oral cancer. These factors even cause over 90% of mouth cancers with dietary deficiencies. So, reducing alcohol and tobacco use, as well as eating more fruits and vegetables, can reduce the risk of developing oral cancer.

If the primary preventive measures don’t work, early detection via screening is the first step towards treatment for mouth cancer. RGCIRC offers relatively inexpensive yet top-notch oral cancer treatment while averting many deaths.

Practice Proper Oral Hygiene

When it’s about oral health, many people just focus on getting rid of bad breath and avoiding cavities. We don’t think too much about the right steps for preventing oral cancers.

Cancer of the mouth can prevail in various ways that are not easy to detect. Not all patients show any sign of irritation or pain. That’s why this cancer often remains undiagnosed. To prevent mouth cancer, practicing proper oral hygiene is a better way to start. This will not only prevent your teeth from cavities but also minimize any chances of cancer cell growth at an early stage.

Things You Must Know About Oral Cancer

Here are some common things you must know about cancer of mouth:

• Generally, men are more likely to develop oral cancer than women.

• Oral cancer can occur in young adults, as well as elderly people.

• Even if a patient survives the first phase of these diseases, they are at higher risk of a second encounter associated with cancer. The increased risk of cancer development may last up to 5 to 10 years.

• You need to keep your oral cavity clean and healthy to prevent oral cancer.

• Only biopsy can diagnose oral lesions and tumours.

• What’s best is that oral cancer can be prevented and treated successfully at the later stages.

Advice on Oral Cancer Prevention and Care during Treatment

Following are the five essential tips to prevent and take care of oral cancer during treatment:

1. Quit Tobacco

If you used tobacco excessively, you’re at higher risk of developing oral cancer. Both smokeless and smoking tobacco plays a major role in developing this cancer.

If a person smokes, chews and snuffs tobacco (place it directly in their mouth), they are likely to develop grey-white ulcers that are termed leukoplakia.

2. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Like smoking, the excessive use of alcohol also increases the risk of oral cancer. Alcohol can change a person’s body chemistry while breaking down its natural defence against cells of cancer.

If a person has over 3.5 alcoholic drinks every day, it increases the risk of oral cancer around three times – as per the National Institutes of Health. Therefore, it’s best to avoid alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence. Plus, excessive smoking and drinking combined can multiply the effect to a great extent.

3. Visit a Dentist Regularly

Dental hygienists and dentists can easily locate cancerous growth during a routine dental examination. Therefore, it’s best to visit your dentist regularly. They can easily refer you to an ENT specialist for confirming the diagnosis and being cancer treatment right away. So, you’d have a better chance of removing cancer from your system.

Besides visiting your dentist regularly or every six months, you need to brush twice a day, as well as after meals, for keeping your mouth healthy.

4. Get Vaccination for HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked with oral cancer. Usually, HPV-related cancers are found more in men than in women. Initially, the symptoms are swelling in the neck. But later the condition may become worse if not treated on time.

It is best to get vaccinated for HPV before you become sexually active. This will prevent you from the risk of getting HPV-related oral cancer in the future.

5. Protect Your Lips from Sun Exposure

Lip cancer is linked to exposure to UV rays from sunlight. People who often spend time outdoors are likely to get lip cancer.

If a person has a history of getting bad sunburns, he/she needs to take extra care of their lips. Besides limiting the exposure to the sun at peak hours (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), you need to wear a lip balm with SPF before going out. Do reapply it after meals or every time you reapply sunscreen. Even wear a hat to protect your face from the sun.

While certain habits like smoking and alcohol lead to oral cancer, even environmental factors (such as sun exposure) can develop cancer of the mouth. Therefore, you need to follow the aforementioned tips to protect your lips against cancerous growth.