Once cancer has been diagnosed, additional tests are done to determine the form of the cancer and whether the disease has spread to other areas of the body. Both provide cross-sectional views that have been compiled by a computer from many different images of the body taken at different angles. CT uses an x-ray beam that rotates around the body to produce the final image, whereas MRI registers magnetic fields to create an image. Oral cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, or both. The effectiveness of chemotherapy in combination with either surgery or radiation is still under study.
Laser surgery is sometimes combined with standard surgery to treat selected cases.
Used alone, either surgery or radiation can cure oral cancer in its early state. The choice of treatment depends on the size of the tumor, its location, and the willingness of the patient to undergo the side effects associated with each type of treatment. Surgery might leave a scar or alter speech, and radiation can irritate the skin and cause hoarseness, a sluggish or tired feeling, and loss of appetite. Dry mouth and loss of taste are often long-term problems associated with these treatment modalities. They can result in poor eating habits and subsequent malnourishment.