Oral cancer, a subset of head and neck cancers, includes malignancies of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx.
📌 Recommended Article :
Video 🔽 Oral cancer: Risk factors, management, procedures and types of treatment ... Let's learn about the risk factors, management, and correct evaluation to identify the clinical manifestations of oral cancer. Let's also discover what the new technologies are for diagnosis and treatmentEarly detection significantly improves survival rates, yet many cases remain undiagnosed until advanced stages. Recognizing early warning signs and lesions is crucial for timely intervention and optimal prognosis.
Advertisement
✅ Epidemiology and Risk Factors
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral cancer ranks among the top 15 most common cancers globally. The American Cancer Society (2024) estimates approximately 58,450 new cases of oral or oropharyngeal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2025. Key risk factors include:
° Tobacco use (smoked or smokeless)
° Excessive alcohol consumption
° Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly HPV-16
° Prolonged sun exposure (for lip cancers)
° Poor oral hygiene and diet
° Immunosuppression and genetic predisposition
📌 Recommended Article :
PDF 🔽 How is an oral biopsy taken? - Step by step procedure ... This procedure is performed when a definitive diagnosis of a lesion suspected of malignancy is needed. The biopsy can be incisional or excisional, and requires skill on the part of the surgeon✅ Early Warning Signs of Oral Cancer
Early detection is often hindered by the asymptomatic nature of initial lesions. However, several signs should prompt immediate evaluation:
1.Persistent oral sores that do not heal within two weeks.
2. White patches (leukoplakia) or red patches (erythroplakia) on the mucosa, tongue, or gums.
3. Lumps or thickening in the cheek or neck.
4. Difficulty chewing or swallowing, or the sensation of something caught in the throat.
5. Chronic hoarseness or change in voice.
6. Unexplained bleeding, numbness, or pain in the mouth.
7. Loose teeth or ill-fitting dentures without dental cause.
8. Ear pain without an ear infection (often related to oropharyngeal cancers).
9. Unexplained weight loss or fatigue.
📌 Recommended Article :
Video 🔽 What is Oral Candidiasis? - Everything you need to know - Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment ... The Candida Albicans fungus, responsible for oral candidiasis, lives in our oral cavity together with other microorganisms but does not generate any pathological alteration✅ Precancerous Lesions to Monitor
Identifying and monitoring potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) is essential. Key lesions include:
° Leukoplakia: A white patch with a 5–25% risk of malignant transformation.
° Erythroplakia: Red, velvety lesions with a higher malignant potential than leukoplakia.
° Oral lichen planus: Particularly erosive forms are associated with cancer risk.
° Actinic cheilitis: A precancerous condition on the lips due to sun exposure.
° Submucous fibrosis: A chronic condition mostly linked to areca nut chewing.
📌 Recommended Article :
Video 🔽 Top 10 Mouth Cancer Symptoms ... Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that invades and causes damage to nearby tissues. Oral cancer can affect the lips, tongue, tonsils, and salivary glands✅ Diagnostic Approaches
A thorough oral examination should be complemented with adjunctive tools if necessary:
° Toluidine blue staining
° Brush biopsy or scalpel biopsy
° Autofluorescence or chemiluminescence screening
° HPV DNA testing (especially in oropharyngeal lesions)
Patients exhibiting persistent lesions or any suspicious signs must be referred for histopathological evaluation.
📌 Recommended Article :
PDF 🔽 Guide for the surgical management and oral pathology of the pediatric patient ... Some of the pathologies that we can frequently find in children that need surgical procedures are: supernumerary and impacted teeth, congenital cysts, mucoceles💡 Conclusión
Timely recognition of oral cancer signs and premalignant lesions is essential for early diagnosis and improved outcomes. Dentists and primary care professionals play a critical role in routine screening, patient education, and referral. Public awareness, combined with preventive measures such as tobacco cessation and HPV vaccination, remains key in reducing oral cancer incidence.
📚 References
✔ American Cancer Society. (2024). Cancer Facts & Figures 2024. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2024.html
✔ Warnakulasuriya, S., Kujan, O., Aguirre-Urizar, J. M., Bagan, J. V., Gonzalez-Moles, M. A., Kerr, A. R., ... & Lingen, M. W. (2021). Oral potentially malignant disorders: A consensus report from an international seminar on nomenclature and classification, convened by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer. Oral Diseases, 27(8), 1862–1880. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.13704
✔ World Health Organization. (2024). Cancer - Key facts. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
✔ Speight, P. M., & Farthing, P. M. (2022). The pathology of oral cancer. British Dental Journal, 232(10), 621–628. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4297-4
✔ van der Waal, I. (2020). Potentially malignant disorders of the oral and oropharyngeal mucosa; present concepts of management. Oral Oncology, 105, 104602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104602
📌 More Recommended Items
► How to identify the early signs of oral cancer
► Ameloblastoma in a pediatric patient - Characteristics, treatment and clinical case
► Marsupialization of a large mandibular cyst in a pediatric patient - Clinical Case
