How is mouth cancer treated

Having any of these symptoms does not mean that a person has mouth cancer, but it is worth checking with a doctor. There are a number of options , as we describe here. A doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumor and a margin of healthy tissue around it. Oral cancers are sensitive to radiation therapy.

This treatment uses beams of high energy X-rays or radiation particles to damage the DNA inside the tumor cells, destroying their ability to reproduce. External beam radiation : A machine targets the affected area with radiation beams. Brachytherapy : The surgeon will use radioactive needles to deliver radiation to the tumor inside the body. A doctor may recommend this for people with early stage tongue cancer.

A person with early stage mouth cancer may only need radiation therapy, but a doctor can recommend combining it with other treatments to reduce the risk of cancer progressing or recurring. Find out more about radiation therapy here.

If cancer is widespread, a doctor may recommend combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy involves using powerful medicines that damage the DNA of the cancer cells. Chemotherapy medications destroy cancer cells, but they can sometimes damage healthy tissue, too.

This can lead to severe adverse effects. Learn more about chemotherapy. In this emerging technique, a doctor will heat the area above normal temperature to damage and kill cancer cells. This is sometimes called stage 0 cancer, or carcinoma in situ.

A doctor may advise a person to stop smoking and to monitor for further changes. Untreated, oral cancer may start in one part of the mouth, then spread to other parts of the mouth. It may also spread to the head, neck, and the rest of the body.

Learn more about carcinoma in situ. Narrowing of the carotid artery: This can result from radiation therapy and may lead to cardiovascular problems. Dental problems: These can develop if surgery changes the shape of the mouth and jaw.

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing : This can make it hard to eat and may increase the risk of inhaling food, and subsequent infections. Speech problems : Changes to the tongue, lips, and other oral features can affect speech. If the tumor is thick, it increases the possibility that the cancer might have spread to lymph nodes in the neck. If abnormal lymph nodes are felt or seen on an imaging test, the surgeon might remove them called lymph node dissection so they can be checked for cancer spread.

For cancers of the floor of the mouth, front of the tongue, inside of the cheek, gums, and hard palate, surgery is the main treatment. Lymph nodes in the neck might be removed called lymph node dissection to check them for cancer spread. If it looks like surgery hasn't completely removed the cancer or if there is a high chance of it coming back, radiation alone or chemoradiation might be added.

Radiation can be used instead of surgery as the main treatment for some people. Surgery is usually done first and includes taking out some of the neck lymph nodes lymph node dissection. Surgery is most often followed by radiation alone or chemoradiation. Stage IVB cancers have already spread into nearby tissues, structures, and maybe lymph nodes. Stage IVC cancers have spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs. People with stage IVB cancers that cannot be removed by surgery or who are too weak for surgery might be treated with radiation alone.

Chemotherapy alone may also be recommended. Stage IVC cancers are usually treated with chemo , cetuximab , or both. Immunotherapy , alone or with chemo, might be another option. A biopsy is the only way to confirm cancer.

Small pieces of tissue are taken out and checked for cancer cells. Your results will come back in about 1 week. These help your healthcare providers learn more about your overall health and the cancer. They're used to find out the stage of the cancer. The stage is how much cancer there is and how far it has spread metastasized in your body. It's one of the most important things to know when deciding how to treat the cancer. Once your cancer is staged, your provider will talk with you about what the stage means for your treatment.

Ask your provider to explain the details of your cancer to you in a way you can understand. Your treatment choices depend on the type of oral cancer you have, test results, and the stage of the cancer.

The goal of treatment may be to cure you, control the cancer, or help ease problems caused by the cancer. Talk with your healthcare team about your treatment choices, the goals of treatment, and what the risks and side effects may be. Other things to think about are if the cancer can be removed with surgery, how your body will look and work after treatment, and your overall health.

Types of treatment for cancer are either local or systemic. Local treatments remove, destroy, or control cancer cells in one area. Surgery and radiation are local treatments.

Surgery is a common treatment for oral cancer. Systemic treatment is used to destroy or control cancer cells that may have traveled around your body. When taken by pill or injection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy are systemic treatments. You may have just one treatment or a combination of treatments. Talk with your healthcare providers about your treatment options. Make a list of questions. Think about the benefits and possible side effects of each option.

Talk about your concerns with your healthcare provider before making a decision. Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation can damage normal cells. This can cause side effects such as hair loss, mouth sore, and vomiting.

Talk with your healthcare provider about side effects linked with your treatment. There are often ways to manage them. There may be things you can do and medicines you can take to help prevent or control many treatment side effects. After surgery for oral cancer, you may need extra care to adjust to new ways of eating, drinking, speaking, and breathing. The types of changes you have depend on the type of surgery that was done.

Many people feel worried, depressed, and stressed when dealing with cancer. Getting treatment for cancer can be hard on your mind and body. Keep talking with your healthcare team about any problems or concerns you have. Work together to ease the effect of cancer and its symptoms on your daily life.

Cancer treatment is also hard on the body. To help yourself stay healthier, try to:. Your healthcare provider will talk with you about when to call.