Oral cancer treatment may be done through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or targeted therapy, depending on the location of the tumor, the severity of the disease, and whether the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body.
The chances of recovery from this type of cancer are higher at the start of treatment.Therefore, it is very important to be aware of symptoms that may indicate oral cancer, such as:
- When they occur.
- A dentist or general practitioner should be consulted to identify the problem that may be causing your symptoms and start treatment as soon as possible.
- Mouth cancer is more common in people with a family history of the disease.
- Cigarette use.
- Or unprotected recurrence.
- Oral sex with multiple partners.
Learn about other symptoms and how to identify oral cancer
Oral cancer surgery aims to remove the tumor so that it does not increase in size or spread to other organs. Most of the time, the tumor is small and therefore only one piece of gum is removed, however, there are several surgical procedures to remove the cancer, depending on the location of the tumor:
Usually, after surgery, it is necessary to reconstruct the affected area to maintain its function and aesthetics, using muscles or bones from other parts of the body.Recovery after surgery varies from person to person, but can take up to 1 year..
Although rare, some side effects of oral cancer surgery include difficulty speaking, swallowing or breathing, and cosmetic changes in the face, depending on the places treated.
Targeted therapy uses drugs to help the immune system specifically identify and attack cancer cells, with little effect on normal cells in the body.
One remedy used in targeted therapy is cetuximab, which prevents the growth of cancer cells and prevents them from spreading throughout the body.This medicine may be combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy to increase the chances of recovery.
Some side effects of targeted treatment for oral cancer may include allergic reactions, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure, acne, fever or diarrhea, for example.
Chemotherapy is often used before surgery to decrease the size of the tumor, or after to remove the last cancer cells, however, it can also be used when there is metastasis, to try to eliminate them and facilitate treatment with other options.
This type of treatment can be done by taking pills, at home, or with medications placed directly in the vein, in the hospital.These medications, such as cisplatin, 5-FU, carboplatin or docetaxel, have the function of removing all cells that grow very fast and therefore, in addition to cancer, can also attack hair cells and nails, for example.
Therefore, the most common side effects of chemotherapy include
The severity of side effects depends on the drug used and the dose, but usually go away a few days after treatment.
Radiation therapy for oral cancer is similar to chemotherapy, but uses radiation to destroy or decrease the growth rate of all cells in the mouth and can be applied alone or in combination with chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
Radiation therapy in oral and oropharynse cancer is usually applied externally, using a device that emits radiation to the mouth, and should be performed 5 times a week for a few weeks or months.
By attacking several mouth cells, this treatment can cause burns to the skin where radiation, hoarseness, loss of taste, redness and irritation of the throat or the appearance of sores in the mouth, for example.