Cancer of the oral cavity is more common in people who smoke cigarettes or cigars, chew tobacco, or smoke pipes. A doctor should be seen if a person finds a lump in the lip, mouth, or gums, finds a sore in the mouth that doesn't heal, or has bleeding or pain in the mouth. Another sign of a cancer of the mouth or gums is when dentures no longer fit well. Often lip and oral cavity cancers are found by dentists when examining the teeth. How cancer of the lip and oral cavity is treated There are treatments for all patients with cancer of the lip and oral cavity.
Surgery is a common treatment of cancer of the lip and oral cavity.
The doctor may remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around the cancer. A new type of surgery developed at The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, called micrographic, has been used by surgeons at The James for early cancers of the lip and oral cavity. During this surgery, the doctor removes the cancer and then uses a microscope to look at the area to make sure there are no cancer cells left. As little normal tissue as possible is removed. Surgeons of radiation therapy at The James have developed a team approach using both surgery and specialized irradiation given during the surgery of some of these cancers.