Oral cancer
What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer starts in the cells of the mouth. The most common type is squamous cell carcinoma.
Risks for oral cancer
Risks for oral cancer include tobacco, alcohol, betel quid and infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
Signs and symptoms of oral cancer
Common signs and symptoms of oral cancer include an ulcer or sore in the mouth or on the lip that doesn’t heal and pain that doesn’t go away.
Diagnosis of oral cancer
Oral cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out by tests such as a biopsy and an endoscopy.
Grading oral cancer
Grading describes how cancer cells look compared to healthy cells. Low-grade oral cancer tends to grow more slowly and is less likely to spread than high-grade oral cancer.
Stages of oral cancer
The stage of oral cancer describes the size of the tumour (T), if cancer is in the lymph nodes (N) and if it has spread or metastasized (M).
If oral cancer spreads
Oral cancer can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the mouth, the soft tissue surrounding the mouth, lymph nodes in the neck and to other parts of the body.
Prognosis and survival for oral cancer
Prognosis estimates the outcome for oral cancer. It depends on many factors including stage, tumour thickness and depth of invasion.
Treatments for oral cancer
Oral cancer is often treated with surgery, sometimes followed by radiation therapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiation. It can also be treated with immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
Supportive care for oral cancer
Supportive care for oral cancer helps people cope with physical, practical, emotional and spiritual challenges.
Head and neck cancer statistics
Cancer statistics tell us how many people in Canada are diagnosed with and die from oral cavity cancer in a certain time frame.
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