Cancer of the mouth is a very common and yet very serious disease. There are several causes of it, and some people are more at risk than others, for instance, those who are smokers. To protect yourself from this disease, it may be a good idea to check into getting oral cancer screening oregon.

There are different histologic types of this disease. The first type is the teratoma. The second type is adenocarcinoma of the salivary glands. The third type is tonsillar lymphoma or melanoma from mucosa cells. Approximately ninety percent of these diseases are squamous cell carcinomas. These are carcinomas that originate in the mouth tissues or lips.

This disease also commonly involves the tongue. But it can also develop in the cheek lining, the gums, the roof of your mouth, or the floor of the mouth. When viewed under a microscope, the different versions of the disease can look very similar. That is why medical tests are necessary to distinguish between them early on for a proper diagnosis.

If you notice a skin lesion, ulcer or lump that does not heal in two weeks, this could be a sign of the disease. Some of the symptoms to look for is a lump on the tongue, the lip, or some other area of the mouth. It is usually small and pale colored, but it can also show as a dark or discolored bump or sore. Initially, the bump may be painless, but this may not always be the case.

Another early sign of the disease is a white patch on the soft tissues of the mouth. This is called a leukoplakia. If the sore shows as a red patch, this is called a erythroplakia. The sore may produce a burning sensation or become painful once the tumor has reached an advanced stage. Sometimes these sores can be observed behind the wisdom tooth or even behind your ear.

There are also other symptoms that may arise from this disease, such as having difficulty swallowing. Many patients also report having tongue problems and mouth sores. Intense pain and paraesthesia symptoms tend to develop in the later stages of the disease.

A brush biopsy is non-invasive and can be used to rule out any dysplasia in areas of the mouth with unexplained discoloration or lesions. However, the only sure method of determining if a lesion is cancerous or not is through a biopsy and a microscopic evaluation of the cells in the tissue sample.

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.