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Mouth Cancer Treatment Options: From Surgery to Immunotherapy
By Raveena M Prakash
Mouth cancer, also commonly known as oral cancer, affects the tissues of the mouth, lips, tongue, gums, or roof of the mouth. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment outcomes, as treatment success mainly depends on the stage of cancer and the patient’s overall health. Modern cancer treatments range from surgery to immunotherapy, allowing for personalized care.
In this article, we’ll discover more about mouth cancer treatment options, starting from surgery to immunotherapy, importance of early detection and cancer preventive measures!
Understanding mouth cancer
Mouth cancer typically begins in the squamous cells that line the lips, gums, tongue, or oral cavity. These are more common in people over the age of 40 years, but they can also affect the younger adults as well.
The risk factors may include:
- Smoking cigarettes and the excessive use of tobacco products ( these are major reason for developing mouth cancer)
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Poor oral hygiene and chronic irritation
- Genetic predisposition
- Family history of mouth cancer
Common symptoms
The early signs of mouth cancer may include:
- Persistent mouth sores that do not heal
- Unexplained bleeding in the gums or mouth
- Lumps or thickened area in the oral cavity
- Difficulty in chewing, swallowing foods or moving the jaw
- Numbness in the tongue or lips
- Voice changes
Early diagnosis and understanding of mouth cancer symptoms through biopsy and imaging tests is essential for planning the most effective cancer treatment.
Mouth cancer treatment options: Surgery
Surgery is often considered the first line of cancer treatment, especially for early-stage mouth cancer. The main goal of performing surgical procedures is to remove the tumor along with some surrounding tissue to ensure no cancer cells remain in cancer-affected areas in the mouth.
Types of surgery
Here are some of the mouth cancer surgeries, these may include:
- Wide local excision: These surgery performed to remove the tumor along with a small margin of healthy tissue.
- Partial glossectomy: These surgery used to remove a parts of the tongue.
- Mandibulectomy or maxillectomy: These surgeries are used to remove the parts of the jaw or roof of the mouth if the tumor has spread.
- Neck dissection surgery: This surgery helps to remove lymph nodes in the neck if cancer has spread.
Surgery is often highly effective for early- stage tumors and can be combined with other treatments to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in patients.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or particles to destroy cancer cells, including:
- As the primary cancer treatment for small tumors
- After the surgical procedures to eliminate the remaining cancer cells
- To relieve cancer symptoms in advanced cancer cases
Types of radiation therapy
Here are the types of radiation therapy used in patients, including:
- External beam radiation therapy: These radiation therapy often delivers from the outside of the body over several cancer sessions.
- Brachytherapy: These procedures are used to place the radioactive sources closest to or inside the tumor.
Side effects of radiation therapy
In some cases, radiation therapy can cause side effects such as:
- Sore throat or dry mouth
- Taste changes
- Difficulty in swallowing foods
- Difficulty in moving jaws
Modern treatment techniques such as intensity- modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) aim to reduce the damage to any healthy tissue while effectively targeting the tumor.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy plays a major role in mouth cancer treatment. Chemotherapy is an effective cancer treatment and uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells to stop the cancer growth.
These treatments are often used for:
- Advanced stage cancers
- Tumors that cannot be removed completely
- Cancer that has spread to other parts of the body
Chemotherapy can be given alone or in combination with other treatments such as radiation therapy (chemoradiation) to enhance the treatment effectiveness.
The common side effects of chemotherapy may include nausea, fatigue, hair loss, and low immunity, which are managed to reduce through effective medication.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a more precise and accurate cancer treatment. Instead of attacking all dividing cells, it targets specific molecules or genetic changes which drives cancer growth.
Benefits of targeted therapy
- Less damage to healthy tissue when compared to chemotherapy
- These can be used to advanced or recurrent cancer cases
- These treatments often combined to other cancer treatments
Targeted therapy is usually chosen based on genetic testing of the tumor, making treatment highly personalised.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is an effective cancer treatment which strengthens the body’s immune system to fight against mouth cancer.
Types of immunotherapy
- Checkpoint inhibitors
- Cancer vaccines
Immunotherapy is generally used for advanced or metastatic mouth cancer, especially when other treatments are less effective.
Early detection and preventive measures
Cancer preventive measures and the practice of early detection plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of mouth cancer and improving the treatment outcomes. Avoiding the use of tobacco products in all forms and limiting excessive alcohol consumption are essential to cancer prevention in high risk groups of people. Maintaining good oral hygiene will improve oral health. Additionally practising a regular dental checkups helps to identify early changes in the mouth, which might go unnoticed.
It's also important to monitor for the useful mouth sores, lumps or patches that do not heal easily. Detecting these complex diseases in the early stages can significantly improve the treatment success and might reduce the need for extensive cancer surgery to aggressive cancer treatments.
Lifestyle tips during treatments
Patients undergoing treatment for mouth cancer treatments might benefit from the following lifestyle practises, including:
- Eat soft, nutritious foods: Always choose easy to chew foods to eat and foods rich in vitamins and minerals like fruits, vegetables and helps to maintain strength and healing.
- Staying hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can reduce the risk of dry mouth and manage treatment related side effects in patients.
- Good oral hygiene: Following a gentle and healthy oral hygiene helps to prevent oral infections and reduces discomfort.
- Managing stress and anxiety: Following breathing techniques such as meditation, yoga or taking professional help will support emotional well-being during the cancer treatment.
- Seeking support: Encouragement and help from family, friends, and healthcare teams play an important role in cancer recovery.
Consult Today
Mouth cancer treatment has advanced significantly over the years, offering patients a variety of effective treatment options. From traditional surgery and radiation therapy to modern targeted therapy and immunotherapy, each type of treatment can be designed according to the patient’s specific needs.
At Oncare, we offer premium-quality cancer treatments, including advanced cancer surgeries, at an affordable price range with an experienced cancer specialist consultation.
If you or any loved ones of yours are diagnosed with cancer, then visit Oncare Cancer Center and book an appointment with our cancer specialist today. Get an estimated cost of cancer treatments today!
Frequently Asked Questions
The primary treatment options for mouth cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Common tests used to diagnose mouth cancer including physical examination, brush biopsy, incisional biopsy, indirect laryngoscopy and pharyngoscopy.
The most common surgeries used to treat mouth cancer including primary tumor surgery, glossectomy, mandibulectomy, maxillectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, neck dissection and reconstruction surgery.
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