Lip Cancer Symptoms
All You Need to Know about Lip Cancer Symptoms
Lip cancer is said to be the most common kind of oral cancer and so it is important that all of us familiarize ourselves with lip cancer symptoms. Sunlight and unprotected exposure to the sun are the predominant reasons for lip cancer. Lip cancer tends to spread easily to other parts of the mouth and face.
Lip cancer is the growth of malignant tissues on the lip. There are some easily notable lip cancer symptoms:
Patients may develop a sore on the lip, a lump and sometimes even as a reddish mark on the lip. These sores may or may not be accompanied by pain. Generally these lumps or swellings are persistent and do not heal. These lip cancer symptoms can easily be mistaken for other lip related health problems.
Another lip cancer symptom is bleeding from the lips. Chewing and swallowing become challenging with any form of oral cancer and this is also a lip cancer symptom. Also, because of the way the nerves in the region are linked, some patients find severe earache is a fall-out of lip cancer.
A swollen jaw can also be counted as a lip cancer symptom. This can sometimes result in a chance in eating and speaking patterns.
Doctors have found that bad breath, oral discomfort, loose teeth, swollen gums and lumps in the neck can all be lip cancer symptoms. Some causes for lip cancer are:
Unprotected sun exposure referred to earlier. This is easily avoidable because by wearing the right kind of sunscreen people can avoid exposing the sensitive skin of the lips to ultraviolent radiation.
Alcohol and tobacco abuse are also known to trigger lip cancer symptoms. The chemical reactions and the poor oral hygiene related to these habits seem to lead to lip related problems.
Lip cancer is found to be more prevalent in people over 45 years of age and women seem more susceptible to this cancer than men. As mentioned earlier, lip cancer symptoms can frequently be mistaken for other oral problems and you have to observe the progression of the lump or swelling and consult a doctor if you find that it is not responding to other intervention.
A doctor is likely to do a physical examination and an x-ray of the area. If there is evidence of tissue growth, you will be advised to go through a biopsy. The biopsy will allow the doctor to have a look at the cells under a microscope and determine whether the growth is malignant or benign. The doctor will also be able to assess the stage of the cancer. The cancer is said to be in Stage I if the tissue growth is two centimeters or less and if the lymph nodes in the area are unaffected. Stage II is marked by growth that range in size from two to four centimeters but where the lymph nodes are still unaffected. A patient is said to be Stage III if the cancerous growth is larger than four centimeters or if one of the lymph nodes in the area is infected. Where there is evidence that the cancer has spread in the general area or where more lymph nodes show sign of being affected, this is classified as Stage IV.
An early detection of lip cancer can help because as in all cancers early intervention is the most effective. A patient’s prognosis is most promising where the cancer is identified and aggressively treated in the early stages. As the cancer proceeds it gets harder to make completely recovery and the chances of recurrence and metastasizing also increase. So, by staying alert to lip cancer symptoms you can increase your odds of handling the problem effectively.