Head and neck cancer can occur in the mouth, neck, throat, or face.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Finding cancer early can increase a patient’s life expectancy and the likelihood of successful treatment. However, the presence of cancer is often not recognized quickly because of the various symptoms.
One type of cancer that has various symptoms is head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the mouth, neck, throat, or face.
About 90 percent of all cases head and neck cancer is oral cancer. While esophageal cancer, thyroid cancer, brain cancer, and eye cancer are not included in the type of head and neck cancer.
Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Alastair Fry, revealed that head and neck cancer can appear in different ways in each patient. Therefore, the symptoms that appear also vary.
Two head and neck cancer symptoms which according to Fry should be wary of could be on the teeth. One of these symptoms is a numb feeling in the teeth. Another symptom is loose teeth. The appearance of these two symptoms is often considered a common dental problem.
In addition to dental symptoms, head and neck cancer can cause several other classic symptoms. Some of them are the appearance of a lump or pain in the mouth or neck area that continues to appear for several weeks.
“(The main symptoms are) the appearance of white patches or thrush in the mouth, or lumps in the mouth or neck, difficulty swallowing, or changes in voice,” explained Fry, as reported by the Daily Mail. ExpressFriday (22/7/2022).
By recognizing the symptoms and seeing a doctor, head and neck cancer can be found early. Fry said the condition of head and neck cancer would be much better if treated at an early stage.
