Mouth cancer

Mouth Cancer

Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer (pronunciation: /ˈɔːrəl ˈkænsər/), is a type of head and neck cancer that starts in the cells of the mouth or the oral cavity.

Etymology

The term "cancer" originates from the Latin word cancer meaning "crab", due to the crab-like spread of the disease. The term "oral" is derived from the Latin os, oris meaning "mouth".

Definition

Mouth cancer refers to cancer that develops in any part of the mouth or oral cavity. This can include cancer that occurs on the:

• Lips
• Tongue
• Cheeks
• Floor of the mouth
• Hard and soft palate
• Sinuses
• Pharynx

Symptoms

Symptoms of mouth cancer may include:

• Sores, swelling, lumps or thick patches anywhere in or around your mouth or throat
• Areas of red or white lesions in your mouth or lips
• The feeling of a lump or object stuck in your throat
• Swallowing difficulties
• Tongue problems
• Pain or numbness in your mouth
• Loose teeth with no apparent dental cause
• Lingering sore throat
• Voice changes

Causes

Mouth cancer occurs when cells in your mouth or oral cavity develop mutations in their DNA. These mutations allow the cells to continue growing and dividing when healthy cells would die. The accumulating abnormal mouth cells can form a tumor. With time, they may spread inside the mouth and on to other areas of the head and neck or other parts of the body.

Mouth cancers most commonly begin in the flat, thin cells (squamous cells) that line your lips and the inside of your mouth.

Risk Factors

Factors that can increase your risk of mouth cancer include:

• Tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, among others
• Heavy alcohol use
• Excessive sun exposure to your lips
• A sexually transmitted virus called human papillomavirus (HPV)
• A weakened immune system

Related Terms

• Oncology
• Carcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Metastasis
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Mouth cancer
• Wikipedia's article - Mouth cancer

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski