Important New Information About Oral Cancer Screening Oregon

By Karina Frost


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.

The survival rate for this disease depends on many factors, such as the site of the growth and the stage at which it is diagnosed. The survival rate tends to be around 57 percent at five years regardless of gender, ethnicity, age group, and modes of treatment. However, the survival rate for stage one of the disease is approximately ninety percent. This is why doctors emphasize screening and early detection to increase survival rates for patients.

A premalignant lesion is normally benign. It is altered tissue that has the potential of becoming malignant over time. There are various types of these premalignant lesions that can occur in your mouth. Many of these lesions begin as red or white patches in the mouth. Some common lesions that may be premalignant are lichen planus of the mouth, actinic cheilitis and submucous fibrosis.

It is a good idea to have this screening test done at least once a year. If there is anything suspicious, the doctor will order special tests, such as an x-ray, a CT scan or an MRI. The doctor may also take a tissue biopsy for further testing. This testing will normally be done in a lab.

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.




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