Important New Information About Oral Cancer Screening Oregon

By Karina Frost


Cancer in the mouth is a type of head and neck cancer. It is described as any cancerous tissue growth that is located in your oral cavity. Many thousands of people are affected by this disease every year, and many people die from it. Educating yourself about oral cancer screening oregon may prevent this from happening to you or your family members.

This disease is actually a problem around the world. In many Asian countries, chewing betel or paan is considered to be a risk factor for the disease. In India, this disease accounts for forty percent of all reported cancers. This is significant compared to just four percent of reported cases in the UK.

The survival rate for this disease depends on many factors, such as the site of the growth and the stage at which it is diagnosed. The survival rate tends to be around 57 percent at five years regardless of gender, ethnicity, age group, and modes of treatment. However, the survival rate for stage one of the disease is approximately ninety percent. This is why doctors emphasize screening and early detection to increase survival rates for patients.

For proper screening, there should be a thorough examination of the mouth by your doctor or dentist to see if there is any visible or hidden lesions on the lips, tongue, or anywhere else in the mouth. The sides of your tongue are also a common area for lesions. As the tumor grows larger, it often becomes an ulcer and starts to bleed. After this stage, the patient may have difficulty talking, chewing, or swallowing. Some patients may need a feeding tube to get adequate nutrition.

It is a good idea to have this screening test done at least once a year. If there is anything suspicious, the doctor will order special tests, such as an x-ray, a CT scan or an MRI. The doctor may also take a tissue biopsy for further testing. This testing will normally be done in a lab.

Smoking and using tobacco are associated with approximately seventy-five percent of all cases of the disease. This is because smoking causes the mucous membranes in your mouth to become irritated by the heat caused by cigarettes, pipes and cigars. Tobacco has more than sixty carcinogens. The combustion of these carcinogens by smoking and the by-products it creates is the main method of disease contraction. Also, using chewing tobacco and snuff can cause irritation as well when the tobacco or snuff comes in contact with the mucous membranes in your mouth.

When DNA mutates, oncogenes will become activated. There are certain risk factors that can make a person predisposed developing to oral cancer. You should speak to your doctor about whether you have any of these risk factors. The International Cancer Genome Consortium devotes its time and resources to studying this type of disease. It does this by mapping the complete genome of the disease.

You should understand that nearly seventy-five percent of these cancers are associated with certain behaviors that can be modified over time, such as smoking tobacco and too much alcohol consumption. Other factors such as poor oral hygiene and irritation to the gums caused by badly fitted dentures are also contributors. Having poor nutrition and chronic infections from bacteria or viruses are also red flags. However, if oral cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, medical treatment will generally be effective with the disease.




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