| ↑↑ Hyukchan Kwon, Representative Director of Yes Dental Clinic |
Last year, according to the National Statistical Office, the death rate was 618.9 per 100,000 people, and the highest cause of death was cancer.
Among cancers, cancer occurring in the head and neck region causes deformation of the facial appearance, which can cause serious psychological disorders in interpersonal relationships.
Head and neck cancer is cancer of the nose, mouth, face and neck, and oral cancer is cancer of the mouth.
Oral cancer accounts for only 2-3% of all cancers, but it is a very dangerous cancer with a 5-year survival rate of only 56%.
So, how can oral cancer be differentiated from other diseases?
Oral cancer is generally relatively easy to distinguish from ulcers.
Ulcers on the oral mucosa can occur anywhere on the mucous membrane of the mouth, such as the tongue, cheeks, and gums. They are usually 2-3 mm in size and are accompanied by pain. It is characterized by flatness and usually disappears in about 2 weeks.
However, cancerous ulcers do not heal even after 2 weeks, have a hard feeling when touched, are not accompanied by pain in the early stages, and can be differentiated from oral ulcers by being raised and having many irregularities on the inside.
Oral cancer is easily distinguished from acute inflammation, but chronic inflammation, especially chronic maxillary sinusitis, chronic salivary adenitis, and chronic cervical lymphadenitis, is difficult to distinguish from cancer. Diagnosis must be made through radiographs or blood tests.
The factors that cause cancerous changes are very diverse, and systemic factors include iron deficiency anemia, alcoholism, cirrhosis of the liver, and syphilis.
Pathological conditions occurring in the oral mucosa, such as precancerous lesions such as vitiligo, erythema, and epithelial junction nevus, may develop into cancer, and in particular, carcinoma in situ is highly likely to convert to cancer.
Local carcinogens have been reported to increase the possibility of cancer when drinking, smoking, using ill-fitting prosthetics for a long time, or continuous irritation caused by sharp or crooked teeth.
Also, if the black dot around the lip suddenly enlarges, becomes darker, ulcers form, and even light contact bleeds, it may be a process that progresses to malignant melanoma, so you need to be careful.
Occasionally, some people come to the dentist and look at the inside of the lower molar in a mirror and see that there is something bulging out. Some people ask if it is cancer. These bony ridges vary in size from person to person, some are very large, and some are irregular in shape, which may surprise you when you first find them. .
Oral cancer, like other cancers, must be detected early to have a very high cure rate and less changes in the face.
Treatment includes cancer treatment such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to maximize the quality of life, as well as reconstructive treatment of the removed surgical site (reconstruction of the surgical site such as the tongue, cheek, lip, etc., reconstruction of the mandible and implant or denture treatment, maxillary bone reconstruction) dentures, etc.) should be used concurrently.
Oral cancer often occurs where you can see it, so if you take a little interest and look inside your mouth, it can be of great help in early detection.
In summary, oral cancer has a high fatality rate and changes in the face when it occurs, so it is very important to detect it early because it causes psychological and aesthetic disorders. It is recommended to undergo an examination at a dentist (oral and maxillofacial surgery) or otolaryngology.
Reporter of Gyeongsang Maeil Newspaper / April 10, 2023
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