Off The Record
Signs Of Oral Cancer Stage By Stage You Don’t Want To Miss
Symptoms of oral cancer might vary widely. Additionally, these symptoms might vary greatly because they can appear on the tongue, lips, gums, cheek, hard palate, or floor of the mouth.
More anatomical symptoms, like a lesion inside the cheek or a white patch on the gums, are typically seen in the early stages of oral cancer. However, as oral cancer progresses, we begin to notice more functional signs including slurred speech, difficulty eating, and loose teeth that can make chewing challenging, along with pain.
This guide can assist you in identifying further oral cancer symptoms according to stage.
Pre-cancerous and stage I oral cancer symptoms
Using a flashlight and a mirror, you may examine the interior of your mouth to see what’s happening.
Suspicious signs to watch for in the early stages of oral cancer include:
- Leukoplakia, or white spots, can be either precancerous or cancerous.
- Known as erythroplakia, red spots
- Patches that are red and white in color, called erythroleukoplakia
- Additional variations in hue or texture
- Any uncomfortable spot or ulcer that doesn’t go away or at least get better in two weeks
- thickness of the inner cheek lining, or buccal mucosa
Stage II and III oral cancer symptoms
A tumor may begin to impact the head and neck nerves as it grows in size and depth. Therefore, numbness or a lack of sensation around the jaw, lips, tongue, or mouth may become apparent if you have undiagnosed oral cancer. Pain and hypersensitivity can also result from invaded nerves. The muscles that control the jaw may be affected when oral cancer develops, making it more difficult to chew food or open and close your mouth.
Other signs of stage II or III oral cancer include the following:
- Salivary gland enlargement
- enlarged neck lymph nodes
- Mouth pain that is persistent
- Speech slurred
- No longer fitting dentures
Stage IV oral cancer symptoms
Major nerves are affected by mouth cancer after it has progressed to a point when the tumor has moved beyond its original location. Therefore, you may begin to experience severe discomfort or notice bigger patches of numbness.
You may notice swelling, lumps, or bumps in the jaw or neck if lymph nodes are also affected. Additionally, you may develop trismus, commonly known as “lockjaw,” which makes it difficult to open your mouth extremely wide or, in certain situations, at all, if oral cancer has spread to the muscles that govern your jaw or the jaw bone itself.
Depending on where the cancer has spread, such as to the liver or lungs, additional symptoms may appear once oral cancer has spread. However, further oral cancer stage IV symptoms may include:
- Teeth that are loose
- swelling of the tongue or jaw bone
Other oral cancer symptoms
Oral cancer symptoms can include hoarseness, voice changes, swallowing pain, and persistent ear pain. However, they are far more typical signs of oropharyngeal malignancies, which are another name for throat cancers. Usually, those oral malignancies are invisible.
Both early and late stages of oral cancer might present with certain symptoms. For instance, individuals with early-stage oral malignancies typically lose weight because they are unable to move their tongue or jaws sufficiently to eat. However, people who have advanced oral malignancies lose weight because they are less hungry.
Mouth bleeding is another challenging symptom. A small amount of blood leaking from a lesion combined with saliva when you’re brushing your teeth could indicate early-stage oral cancer. However, the type and extent of bleeding are important. It is really concerning if the bleeding continues or is substantial. However, persistent bleeding typically does not indicate oral cancer.
When to contact a doctor about oral cancer symptoms
The tongue or mouth is where the majority of oral malignancies in the US arise. Oral malignancies of the gums and inner cheek are more common in other nations, particularly in Southeast Asia, where eating betel nuts is more widespread.
However, in the United States alone, between 60,000 and 100,000 persons may receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. Additionally, it is predicted that ten times as many persons have worrisome lesions in their mouths.
Therefore, if you notice anything unusual, especially if it doesn’t heal or get better in a few weeks, speak with your doctor or request a referral to an oral surgeon or a head and neck specialist. If you see something strange inside your mouth, don’t wait to investigate it.
Even in young patients with no risk factors, mouth cancer is common. Additionally, early detection with a straightforward biopsy performed in a clinic enables prompt and precise diagnosis at an early stage. Early detection makes cancer considerably easier to treat. Additionally, early detection may save patients from needing extra treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.
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