Gum cancer: description, causes, symptoms, stages and features of treatment

Tumors that develop in the mouth are malignant processes. They can be located not only on soft tissues, but also go to the jaw.

Definition

Gum cancer is one of the most common diseases of the mouth. It is characterized by the appearance of poor-quality processes that are in the mucous membranes. The risk group most often falls on middle-aged and older men, as well as those who in the past suffered from a variety of dental diseases.

If there is no treatment, a harmful pathological process begins to spread and affect more organs and tissues. If this problem is started, then later there will be metastases, after which the percentage of mortality increases.

Causes

The appearance of such a tumor can result in:

• Presence of carious teeth;
• Inflammatory processes;
• Alcohol and tobacco use;
• Poor cavity hygiene
• Mechanical damage to teeth.

Also, people who have piercings in the tongue are very susceptible to this disease. As you know, this decoration often causes injury to the oral cavity, after which the infection can be actively introduced and spread, which subsequently causes gum cancer.

Stages of

There are four stages of the disease:

1. The tumor reaches a size of 1 cm and is in the mucous layer.
2. The neoplasm grows up to 2 cm in diameter and 1 cm in depth and does not go beyond the tissues. There is 1 metastasis on the lesion side.
3. The seal is 3 cm. The roots may not yet be, or they just begin to gather in the lymph node and the lesions.
4. Metastases are found in the facial bones of the cavity, in the skull and carotid artery. Also can reach such parts of the body as the liver and lungs. At this stage it is difficult to treat gum cancer.

The initial stage of the disease does not make itself felt. A tumor that grows and sprouts in the tissues, squeezes the nerve endings, destroys the work of most organs and causes pain, which is very difficult to tolerate.

Symptoms

The disease can manifest itself in various ways, so it is difficult to diagnose it. But the patient himself can suspect the presence of such a neoplasm if he closely follows his health. The main sign of the presence of cancer is swelling of the gums, which is constantly increasing. Everything goes so far that the affected area becomes quite large and begins to squeeze adjacent teeth, which causes terrible discomfort, which often refers to a doctor.

Further, in the oral cavity appears a seal, which has changed the pigmentation. Quite often this place is surrounded by small sores or cracks. You can also see blood if you touch it lightly to the epicenter. The gums become painful. At first, these sensations are local, but after a period of time it is difficult for the patient to open his mouth.

Visually, this tumor can be described as a new growth of red color with white foci, which are located on the tissues of the cavity. This disease is often confused with leukoplaxy, erythroplexia, ulcer or gingivitis, but for certain signs (excessive ulcerated surface and an abundance of blood vessels) it can be confirmed that this is gum cancer. Symptoms that are described above are very diverse and can confuse even the most sensitive patient, so you need to be attentive to yourself and regularly undergo examinations of doctors.

Diagnostics

To prevent the development of the disease, you must visit the dentist every six months. You also need to monitor for yourself the mucosa, and in case of finding suspicious phenomena immediately show to specialists.

If a doctor suspects swelling, he recommends:

• Visit an oncologist;
• Pass a cytological study, which searches for atypical cells;
• Make a biopsy to determine the type of disease;
• Hold an X-ray that will confirm or disprove the presence of metastases in the lower jaw.

Gum cancer is difficult to recognize, so the above studies will help in this, and also prompt further treatment, which is prescribed only by specialists of this field.

Who most often falls ill?

This problem affects those who abuse alcohol and have chronic problems with the gums or teeth. Also negative influence is rendered by incorrect or completely absent hygienic care, lack of teeth or poor-quality dentures, traumatizing the mucous membrane. Gum cancer is most often present in smokers who like to chew betel leaves and those who have lesions in the oral cavity. This problem can get people suffering from the papilloma virus and herpes, as well as lovers of eating hot and too spicy food.

Forms

This disease can appear on the mucosa in three forms:

• Ulcer cancer occurs in the form of wounds that have uneven edges and bleed on contact with the toothbrush or when pressed.
• Papillary - condensations appear in the form of tubercles.
• Infiltrative - the process penetrates deeper, has no boundaries, there are strong painful sensations even in a state of rest.

Each of these forms is dangerous, because the problem is already present, and it is best to take medical advice at the first stage.

Treatment

Gum cancer, whose treatment is difficult, is eliminated in three stages:

• surgical intervention;
• radiation therapy;
• Course of chemotherapy.

During the operation, doctors cut out the patient's tumor and soft tissues that surround it (mucous, muscle and blood vessels). The remote material is sent for laboratory tests. They can show how much progresses and how far the disease has gone. If the tumor has spread all over the jaw, the surgeons remove the submaxillary triangle.

Radiation therapy can be carried out both before the operation and after it. In the first variant, both the surrounding tissue and the tumor themselves fall under irradiation, and in the second, the area where the tumor was located. Very often, such a procedure is prescribed as a prophylaxis of a repeat of the disease, because it will be possible.

Chemotherapy is most often prescribed to those patients who can not remove gum cancer because there are contraindications to surgical intervention. In rare cases, it is used to supplement radiotherapy in order to enhance the effect.

At the time of this treatment, doctors prescribe drugs (in injections or capsules) that inhibit the growth of negative cells well, and also kill a small part of them. These include such medicines:
Platinum;

• Anthracyclines;
• Epipodophyllotoxins;
• Vincaalkaloids.

At the time of passing the therapy, the doctor prescribes antibiotics to the patient, since under the influence of such strong tablets immunity decreases, which opens access to many viruses and infections. In order to support the body in combat readiness, a course of useful microelements and vitamins is prescribed. At this point, it is recommended that you take special care of your diet and use only useful foods that can help in the fight against the disease.

It is recommended to combine classical methods of treatment together with non-traditional medicine. A variety of massages, acupuncture, as well as rinsing and compresses on the basis of medicinal herbs significantly improve the health of the oral cavity and strengthen the entire body as a whole.

Like other cancers, gum cancer may reappear. In order to avoid relapse, the patient should be examined and blood donated to oncomarkers 5 months after treatment, and in some cases even earlier. It depends on the degree of the disease.

Prevention

In order to minimize the possible percentage of tumor occurrence, it is necessary to perform such simple procedures:

• Carefully and carefully care for the oral cavity;
• Carefully treat the process of eating food, as well as the composition of the products and their properties;
• Eliminate bad habits and work with harmful fumes;
• Follow medical recommendations when treating dental problems;
• Use high-quality toothpastes and rinse.

It is necessary to visit 2 times a year a doctor who will be able to assess the condition of the cavity and will prompt the necessary procedures for maintaining health in the norm.

Forecast

The ability to cure ailment depends on the stage at which the disease is located. Even if signs of gum cancer were detected at the very beginning, not all patients turn immediately for medical attention, and this is their main mistake. The disease can be complicated by the fact that all the unpleasant feelings are very often written off to the consequences of the problem of the teeth. After their removal, the passage remains open and an infection can enter the well, which accelerates the spread of cancer.

Despite all this, mortality is very low. As statistics show, an average of 5-6 years survive:

• At 1-2 stages 80%;
• On 3 - up to 40%;
• On 4 - up to 15%.

If you plan the treatment correctly, then you can achieve remission in more than 30% of cases.