Oropharyngeal and Oral Cancer

Tiffany Lindholm

What is oral cancer?

Cancer of the mouth (oral cavity) Lips inside lining of the lips and cheeks teeth gums front two-thirds of the tongue hard palate area behind the wisdom teeth

What is Oropharyngeal Cancer?

Cancer in the throat (oropharynx) begins where oral cavity stops Base of tongue soft palate tonsils and tonsillar pillars back wall of throat

Uses of oral cavity and oropharynx

Breathing Talking Eating Chewing Swallowing Salivary glands make saliva to keep mouth moist and helps digest food

What causes the cancer?

Tobacco Alcohol Exposure to ultraviolet radiation Poor diet DNA malfunction

Key statistics
28,260 new cases is 2004 7,230 (4,830 men and 2,400) people will die in 2004 More frequent in Blacks than whites 81% survive 1 year after diagnosis For all stages combined 56% survive 5 years 41%survive 10 years If cancer found early 80% survive 5 years

Key statistics
More common in Hungary and France 15% Newly diagnosed patients will have another cancer 10-40% will develop a second cancer

Signs and symptoms

Sore in the mouth that doesnt heal Pain that doesnt go away Lump or thickening in the cheek White or red patch on gums, tongue, tonsil or lining of the mouth Sore throat Difficulty chewing, swallowing, moving jaw or tongue Loosening of the teeth Voice changes Lump or mass in the neck Weight loss Persistent bad breath

Treatment options
Stage 0: Surgery 95-100% Stages 1 and 2: Surgery or radiation 6080% Stages 3 and 4: Surgery and radiation or radiation and chemotherapy or all three 20-50%

Side effects
Radiation Surgery Laryngectomy

After treatment
Speech and swallowing therapy Dietitian Follow up tests Chemo prevention

Whats new?
DNA changes Tumor growth factors Chemotherapy Radiation Vaccines Gene therapy