Gum cancer: symptoms, treatment, prognosis

Oncocenter Blokhin reports that a malignant tumor of the gum is one of the relatively new species of tumors. The risk factors for the disease include smoking, alcohol abuse, as well as the carriage of HIV or human papillomavirus. Symptomatic of gum cancer is not always clear, so it can often not be detected at an early stage. Early diagnosis would speed up the recovery process and raise the survival rate. This article examines the symptoms, classification of tumors and treatment of the disease.

Causes of malignant neoplasm

Below is a list of the causes of gum cancer :

1. Aphthous stomatitis.
2. Herpes.
3. Viral diseases.
4. Chemotherapy drugs.
5. Carcinoma.
6. Bullous diseases (for example, pemphigoid, pemphigus, red flat lichen).
7. Behcet's syndrome.
8. Allergic contact dermatitis acquired due to dental work.
9. Syndrome Stevens - Johnson.
10. Primary syphilis.
11. Agranulocytosis or leukopenia.
12. Histoplasmosis (especially in patients with weakened immunity).

Main manifestations of the disease

Symptoms of gum cancer may be different, depending on the stage. Local signs include:

• pain;
• numbness;
• Ulcerative lesions on the gums;
• Difficulty swallowing;
• Seals;
• Problems with chewing food.

Seals on the gums are a tumor that is a discolored cone, enlarged in size. They are not always painful.

Other symptoms of gum cancer may include an increase in one or two lymph nodes, mainly in the neck. This is called lymphedema and may be a sign that it has spread beyond the oral cavity, into deeper tissues. To the last degree, he can throw metastases into the lymph nodes and other parts of the body, where cancer cells are able to form another neoplasm.

Five manifestations of gum cancer:

1. Painful sensations.
2. Puffiness.
3. Change in pigmentation.
4. Sealing.
5. Bleeding gums.

What does classification of tumors mean? What is it for?

Classification of tumors is intended for surgeons, it determines how large the neoplasm, their localization and symptomatology. This information helps the doctor decide on the correct treatment. Tests and X-ray data, which the patient is obliged to do, will help diagnose cancer and give all necessary information to the doctor. If surgery is required, the doctor will give you a complete picture of how it will be performed, what complications can be.

Stages of disease formation

There are 5 stages of malignant formation:

1. The precancerous stage is the earliest form of development that occurs only in the oral cavity. If you do not identify the process, then it can develop into invasive gum cancer. Photos in medical reference books help to understand how this disease looks at different stages.
2. The first stage is invasive cancer. It means that it began to spread into deeper tissues of the oral cavity. Neoplasm reaches no more than 2 cm, does not cover neighboring tissues, lymph nodes.
3. Second phase. The tumor reached a size exceeding 2 cm in diameter. At the second stage, gum cancer does not spread to other organs.
4. The third stage of the disease is characterized by an increase in neoplasm, which can reach a size of more than 4 cm without metastasis. If the cancer cells spread to one of the lymph nodes, then its size is not more than 3 cm.
5. Gum cancer, stage 4. The formation of tumors at this stage of development is divided into 3 stages:

• He let the metastases through the tissues around his lips and mouth.
• It spread to one lymph node or both. In this case, the cancer of the lymph node exceeds 6 cm.
• The neoplasm spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones.

Diagnostic methods of pathology detection

Investigation of the causes, risk factors and symptoms will show a more complete picture of the onset and progression of the disease. Diagnosis of gum cancer includes the passage of a medical examination, which includes a complete examination of the gums, tongue, lips, mouth. It is conducted in the dental department, then the patient is referred for radiology. Also on examination at the dentist examine the lymph nodes in the neck, if there is swelling, then the gum cancer is not in the first stage, harmful microorganisms began to spread.

Diagnostic testing also includes biopsy. It is taken from the affected cells, tissues, seals, indicating a malignant formation. The sample is examined under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells.

The prognosis of the course of the disease depends on the degree of development of the neoplasm and the reasons for its formation. A favorable prognosis is expected for patients who have found early stage gum cancer.

Preventive measures significantly increase the chances of not getting gum cancer. Symptoms, the first signs and manifestations can be seen on their own.

Preventative methods

Cancer treatment begins with prevention. Such measures include quitting smoking and using smokeless tobacco products (chewing tobacco). It is also important not to take alcohol. Safe sex is also a mandatory measure. This can help to avoid sexually transmitted infections, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), which increases the risk of developing the disease.

Prevention of gum cancer includes:

• Regular visits to dental clinics;
• rejection of bad habits;
• You can not use metal objects to remove food residues from the interdental space;
• Proper care of the gums.

Regular examination will help doctors to identify the disease more quickly, conduct the necessary testing for the presence of pathology.

Cancer Therapy

The overall goal of treating gum disease is to achieve complete remission.

The process for each individual, because there may be different:

• Causes and symptoms;
• Types of cancer cells;
• Stages of development;
• Age of the patient;
• History of the disease.

Oncocenter Blokhin specializes in this disease, the appointment of treatment occurs after a consultation of specialists of an oncological polyclinic. These may include oncologists, dentists, oncologist-radiologist, junior medical personnel specializing in gum cancer.

Treatment of all stages is based on surgical intervention to remove the tumor or the affected tissue. Some healthy tissues around the infected area are also removed. The operation may include the removal of nearby lymph nodes, if there is a risk that the cancer began to spread to them.

Treatment of gum cancer may include:

• Operation;
• Chemotherapy;
• Radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy is necessary to reduce the risk of return of the disease, avoid repeated relapses, prevent it from developing somewhere in the body.

Necessary measures for the detection and treatment of disease

Treatment of gum cancer involves the use of topical steroids (Beclomethasone, Mometasone, Fluticasone) and local anesthetics (Lidocaine, Ubistezin, Septanest). Injections are given to the lesion focus.

Therapeutic methods used to cure cancer depend on the type and degree of development, other health problems simultaneously occurring with the disease. Nowadays the following types of events are used:

1. Dental examination for the prevention and detection of infections in the oral cavity.
2. Surgical intervention: surgical removal of the tumor and lymph nodes (most often they can be removed).
3. Radiation, biological (can be used in combination with radiation), interstitial therapy.
4. Chemotherapy.
5. Rehabilitation after surgical intervention.
6. Counseling on nutrition.
7. Palliative therapy is used when radical treatment is impossible or the patient refuses the surgical method.

Statistical data

In men, gum cancer is more common. Photos illustrating the pathology, suggest that it can often be confused with a peptic ulcer. Women suffer more from malignant tumors in the mammary glands.

Remember that statistics are average indicators based on a large number of studies. They can not accurately predict what will happen to you. There are no two patients with identical reactions to treatment. Just as there are no patients with the same symptoms.

Gum cancer is a terrible ailment. The analysis says that it is present in 8% of people. And also, that 70% of patients who have received stage 1-2 of the disease can live more than 5 years. Patients with this diagnosis, having a third or fourth degree of the disease, will live less.

Survival in patients has increased over the past 20 years, because there is the possibility of rapid diagnosis of the disease and the use of effective treatment. Some studies have shown that people infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) are more likely to recover than people who do not have it.