Tag: throat cancer

Are You a Candidate for oral Cancer dfw tx

How Likely Are You to Get Mouth (Oral) Cancer?

Posted on | by mel | Leave a Comment on How Likely Are You to Get Mouth (Oral) Cancer?

Are You a Candidate for Cancer?

Are You a Candidate for oral Cancer dfw tx

Oral cancer, also called mouth cancer, affects many people every year – about 51,000 of them. Once discovered, it can be hard to treat. One thing that stands out about this type of cancer is that it is the most preventable form. While certain people do have a higher risk of mouth cancer than others, knowing the risks can greatly reduce the likelihood of getting this form of cancer. 

 

Oral Cancer Risk Factors

A risk factor does not at all mean that someone will get mouth cancer. It simply means that the individual has a greater likelihood of developing the disease.

Many of the causes of mouth cancer are options and part of the lifestyle that people choose to engage in. Two of the biggest risks are smoking and heavy drinking of alcohol. People who do both are 100 times more likely to get oral cancer than those who do not engage in either one. About 80 percent of people who get this cancer use tobacco in some form. 

Another major risk factor of this type of cancer is being out in direct sunlight for too many hours. Besides being in the outdoors, getting exposed to UV radiation at a tanning salon only increases the likelihood of developing a lip cancer. 

Genetics is also a cause for mouth cancer and throat cancer. People who have two specific genetic conditions: Fanconi anemia (a blood condition) and Dyskeratosis congenita have a very high risk of getting cancer in the oral cavity. 

Another factor is the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus is the same one that causes cervical cancer in women. It can spread to the mouth through oral sex. While most of the time it does not cause a problem, a specific type of HPV (HPV16) is connected with cells growing out of control and causing cancer in the mouth and throat. This particular type of cancer has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. About 20 to 30 percent of cases of oral cancer are connected to HPV. 

Being a man is another risk factor. Men are twice as likely to get oral cancer as women. Women seem to have some degree of immunity to oral cancers – especially to HPV throat cancer. 

Other risk factors include a weakened immune system and poor nutrition. A disease called lichen planus is also a risk factor, and so is age; most people who get an oral cancer are over 55. 

 

Signs and Symptoms of Mouth Cancer

Some forms of mouth cancer have very few symptoms in the early stages. Sometimes an oral cancer is not noticed until it has already spread – usually to the lymph nodes. Symptoms that may be noticed include:

  • Pain when swallowing
  • A sore throat
  • A feeling that something is stuck in your throat
  • A painful tongue
  • Mouth ulcers that do not heal
  • Patches of red or white on your tongue
  • Teeth that have become loose without an obvious reason
  • Dentures that no longer fit right
  • A hoarse voice
  • A lump or thickening of the lining in your mouth.

Some oral cancers really do not cause symptoms until they have already spread. Currently, there is not any test that can be given to screen for it. They are often discovered when going for a routine dental checkup, when you have symptoms that need looking into, or when you see changes in your mouth. 

 

Diagnosis for Oral Cancers

Once a dentist detects what may be considered to be oral cancer, further examination is necessary. There are several tests that may be involved, which will likely start out with a blue dye called toluidine blue, or a laser, or possibly with a brush biopsy. Other tests may include an actual biopsy and scans.

There are several types of scans that may be used, depending on how far cancer has spread. If treatment with radiation or chemotherapy is to be used, other tests may be utilized to determine your general health beforehand. 

 

Oral Cancer Prognosis 

Several types of mouth cancer treatment will be given if and when cancer is discovered. After diagnosis, a treatment plan will be made. It will likely include one or more of the following: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and then it will be succeeded by reconstructive surgery to rebuild your mouth and teeth. 

Oral cancer is staged to determine how far it has spread. When a diagnosis of a stage 1 cancer is discovered, there is an 83 percent chance of living beyond five years. 

 

Preventing Oral Cancer

Since oral cancers are often preventable, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing it. The steps include quitting tobacco completely – or greatly reducing it, eliminating drinking alcohol, staying out of the sun or using sunscreen to protect your lips, and avoiding junk food and processed meats. 

 

If you live in the Farmers branch TX areas, and you believe you may have mouth cancer symptoms, you can get an oral examination from Champion Dental clinic. For more information, or to set up an appointment, you can call our office today at (214) 747-0763

 

Oral sex cause oral cancer dfw tx

How Oral Sex Can Cause Cancer

Posted on | by mel | 2 Comments on How Oral Sex Can Cause Cancer

Can You Really Get Mouth Cancer from Oral Sex?

Oral sex cause oral cancer dfw tx

Cancers today are still very common. Research indicates that one of the oral cancer causes is having oral sex. Although there are other possible causes, such as smoking and drinking, there is strong evidence that getting HPV in the mouth can lead to some people getting throat cancer. 

 

The Cause

The truth is that oral sex is not believed to be the actual cause of oral cancer – at least not directly. According to Medical News Today, what actually happens is that the HPV virus causes changes in the cells that it infects.

The changes affect the genetic material in the cells so that it produces more infected cells. Over time, the infected cells may become cancerous – but not necessarily. Most people who have the infection are not apt to get oral cancer. The body will often remove the HPV infection in about 90 percent of the cases, and it will do it within two years. 

 

The Risk Factors

Several risk factors will increase your chances of getting throat or neck cancer from oral sex. The primary factor is having oral sex with multiple partners. Having six oral sex partners raises your risk by more than three times. The more partners you have, the more likely it is that you will get a throat or neck cancer. 

Men are more likely to develop an HPV-related throat cancer than women. This may be because women have a natural immunological response to it while men do not have. 

 

HPV and Oral Cancer

In an article by the New York Post, oral cancer is on the rise, largely because incidents of HPV are increasing. In tests of men with cancer of the mouth, those who had oral sex with more than 10 women had a rate of 14.4 percent of getting HPV. Of the people who had oral cancer, 70 percent of them also had HPV.

 

Signs of Oral Cancer

Catching throat cancer early is important – just like for any other cancer. The sooner it is detected, the sooner treatment can be initiated – and the less time it has a chance to spread. 

There are several throat cancer symptoms in men. When you have cancer of the throat you may have: difficulty swallowing, a frequent cough, a sore throat, pain in your ear, changes in your voice, a sore or lump that will not heal, and possible weight loss. 

 

Oral HPV Symptoms

When you get HPV, which is an STD, usually from vaginal, oral, or anal sex, it can remain inactive for weeks to years. Some people, the Oral Cancer Foundation says, never have any visible symptoms. Many more people have it than are aware of it. 

Testing positive for HPV does not at all indicate that one partner is having a sexual relationship on the side. HPV can remain dormant for decades. It is quite possible that the other partner has it but never knew it. The CDC reveals that as many as 80 percent of people in the United States will get it at some time during their life. Currently, it is believed that about 79 million people have HPV now. 

 

Reducing the Risk

The risk of developing oral cancer can be reduced by taking some precautions, which means reducing your risk of getting HPV. The first one is to have just one sex partner for a lifetime or limit yourself to one partner who only has sex with you. Another way to cut down the risk is to use condoms carefully, but they do not totally eliminate the risk. A third measure is to get an HPV vaccine. 

Another way to reduce your risk is to stop smoking, which can also cause oral cancers. Drink alcohol only in moderation or not at all. Eating more fruits and vegetables may also reduce your risk, because of the many antioxidants in them. 

Tests for HPV have not yet been developed that are accurate, and the percentage of people who will be actually harmed by it is rather small. Because of the lower rates of incidence of this type of cancer, money for research to detect HPV is limited, and it may be some time before there are any better tests available. 

 

Discovering It Early

In most cases, the first one to detect the symptoms of oral cancer is usually the dentist. A dentist is trained to be able to recognize symptoms of oral cancer, and may even notice it before you do. This is clearly one advantage of going to a dentist for regular checkups. 

During the exam, the dentist will feel your neck and throat for lumps. Throat cancers are often first discovered as lumps in the throat – in swollen lymph nodes. This type of cancer is often not diagnosed until it is already advanced. It is also the fastest growing cancer in men who are between 25 and 55. It usually responds well to surgery and radiation. 

If you want to be checked for mouth and throat cancer, you can visit the Champion dental office at Farmers Branch, Texas.