Cancer of the Mouth and Throat

The oral cavity (mouth) and the upper part of the throat (pharynx) have roles in many important functions, including breathing, talking, chewing, and swallowing. The mouth and upper throat are sometimes referred to as the oropharynx. The important structures of the mouth and upper throat include the following:
Lips
Inside lining of the cheeks (buccal mucosa)
Teeth
Gums
Tongue
Floor of the mouth
Back of the throat, including the tonsils (oropharynx)
Roof of the mouth (the bony front part [hard palate] and the softer rear part [soft palate])
Area behind the wisdom teeth
Salivary glandsMany different cell types make up these different structures. Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation whereby they grow and multiply without normal controls.
As the cells multiply, they form small abnormalities called lesions. Eventually, they form a mass called a tumor.
Tumors are cancerous only if they are malignant. This means that, because of their uncontrolled growth, they encroach on and invade neighboring tissues.
Malignant tumors may spread to neighboring tissues by direct invasion or by traveling along lymphatic vessels and nerves or through the blood stream.
They may also travel to remote organs via the bloodstream.
This process of invading and spreading to other organs is called metastasis.
Tumors overwhelm surrounding tissues by invading their space and taking the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive and function.Tumors in the mouth and throat include both benign and malignant types.
Benign tumors, although they may grow and penetrate below the surface layer of tissue, do not spread by metastasis to other parts of the body.
Benign tumors of the oropharynx are not discussed here.Premalignant conditions are cell changes that are not cancer but which may become cancer if not treated.
Dysplasia is another name for these precancerous cell changes.
Dysplasia can be detected only by taking a biopsy of the lesion. This means to collect a tiny sample of the abnormal area.
Examining the dysplastic cells under a microscope indicates how severe the changes are and how likely the lesion is to become cancerous.
The dysplastic changes are usually described as mild, moderately severe, or severe.
Mouth and Throat Cancer Symptoms
People with an oropharyngeal cancer may notice any of the following symptoms:
A painless lump on the lip, in the mouth, or in the throat
A sore on the lip or inside the mouth that does not heal
A painless white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth
Unexplained pain, bleeding, or numbness inside the mouth
A sore throat that does not go away
Pain or difficulty with chewing or swallowing
Swelling of the jaw
Hoarseness or other change in the voice
Pain in the ear
Mouth and Throat Cancer Causes
Tobacco use is by far the most common risk factor for cancers of the mouth and throat. Both smoking and "smokeless" tobacco (snuff and chewing tobacco) increase the risk of developing cancer in the mouth or throat.
All forms of smoking are linked to these cancers, including cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. Tobacco smoke can cause cancer anywhere in the mouth and throat as well as in the lungs, the bladder, and many other organs in the body. Pipe smoking is particularly linked with lesions of the lips, where the pipe comes in contact with the tissue.
Smokeless tobacco is linked with cancers of the cheeks, gums, and inner surface of the lips. Cancers caused by smokeless tobacco use often begin as leukoplakia or erythroplakia.