Is Mouth Cancer Treatable
If you’ve been diagnosed with mouth cancer, one of your primary concerns is likely whether it’s treatable. Fortunately, for many people, it is. The earlier mouth cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat. Although treatment will vary from one patient to another, it’s often the case that early-stage mouth cancer can be treated with surgery and/or radiation, while mouth cancer that’s progressed further may also require chemotherapy.
Symptoms of mouth cancer
Because mouth cancer is so much easier to treat when it’s in its early stages, it’s important to be on the lookout for any symptoms that could suggest the presence of this malignancy. Some common mouth cancer symptoms include:
- Sores that won’t heal
- Lumps
- White or red patches
- Bleeding
- Loose teeth
- Chronic pain
- Numbness
- Jaw swelling
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing and moving your tongue
- Persistent bad breath
- Voice changes
- Unexpected weight loss
Although you should certainly keep up with your own self-monitoring, you should also make it a point to regularly visit your dentist for check-ups, since he or she will likely be able to point out any abnormalities and let you know whether you need to follow up with a physician.
Mouth cancer treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center
The specialists in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Head and Neck Oncology Program have extensive experience treating mouth cancer. In addition to surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, we also offer other treatment services to help restore our patients’ quality of life. For example, we can help patients obtain the prosthetic devices they need for normal function, and we can also assist with speech and swallowing rehabilitation when necessary.
If you’d like to hear more about the mouth cancer treatment services available at Moffitt Cancer Center, contact us today. You can request an appointment by calling 1-888-663-3488 or completing a new patient registration form online.