Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgery MB BCH; BAO (UK), BDS (Singapore), FDSRCS (UK), FRCS (UK), FRCS (OMFS), FAMS Victor Fan is one of two oral surgeons and maxillofacial qualified in Singapore. Current practice at Gleneagles Medical Centre for dental implant surgery, dental surgery, and maxillofacial surgery (upper jaw and face), cancer surgery and reconstruction, facial aesthetic and surgical orthognathik.
Oral cancer can occur in all parts of the mouth. And anyone can be affected by mouth cancer, but the risk is higher for men over the age of 40 years, smoking, and drinking alcohol. In Singapore, about 150 to 200 patients diagnosed with oral cancer each year. Approximately 75-90% of cases are related to smoking and alcohol.
Symptoms of oral cancer:
- White or red patches in the mouth;
- Mouth sores that do not heal;
- Bleeding in the mouth;
- Problems or pain when swallowing;
- A lump in the neck;
- Ulcers or swelling in the lips.
Other abnormalities include a lump or swelling, or sulcus that does not heal within two weeks to ten days. Cancerous ulcer tends to be hard and not always sick. If the cancer has spread to the tongue, then the patient may not speak well or eating difficult.
Over the last few years, it was found that younger patients affected by oral cancer. The number of patients suffering from HPV infection is a cause of cervical cancer. Although genital tract mucosal lining similar to the mouth, it does not mean cancer induced by HPV. Until now, most forms of cancer is oropharyngeal type in the back of the mouth, and a better prognosis of this cancer. Cancer is also associated with many oral sex partners and vaccination against HPV for young women who are not sexually active push some quarters recommend the same thing for men.
Lip cancer is usually associated with sun damage on the skin especially Caucasians and shown as ulcers that do not heal and bleed. Tongue cancer can also be seen as an ulcer that does not heal is not painful. Ulcers that do not heal any more than 10 days or 2 weeks should be investigated to exclude cancer. Cancer of the jaw is usually expressed as a lump.
Unfortunately, many oral cancer patients who do not experience any symptoms until it's too late. Such patients are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage of cancer and had to undergo surgery with a greater chance of relapse and died.
Sometimes if the cancer has spread. In severe cases, cancer recurrence is less than six months. Nine of the 10 patients survived for five years when the cancer is detected early. But, when it reaches an advanced stage, this picture down.
Early detection of oral cancer also means avoiding chemotherapy or radiotherapy - not as patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Treatment only with regular checkups to make sure the cancer does not return. Early detection could mean 80 to 90% chance of recovery, but if the cancer is detected late, the chances fell to 20%.
The main form of treatment is surgery, if possible, dissected the whole of the patient's mouth. Microvascular reconstructive surgery can help to replace the removed structures - such as parts of the tongue, mouth or jaw, and help patients regain normal function of the mouth such as eating and swallowing. This gives patients chance of recovery, and if the cancer is advanced berstadium, additional radiotherapy can help "clean up" the area to reduce the chance of relapse. Sometimes in some advanced cases, chemotherapy is needed to kill cancer cells that have spread to the hidden areas such as the lungs, liver and brain.
Treatment of the "best" early detection is still the form and the patients are advised to conduct their own oral examination (see www.orofacialsurgery.com.sg) and consult a doctor if you find a suspicious area. Oral and maxillofacial pesialis doctor with an interest in oral cancer will perform a biopsy and help make an early diagnosis. Most dentists oral surgery done which does not deal with the primary care cancer mouth. However, oral and maxillofacial specialist doctors usually dual qualified in medicine and dentistry (dentists and physicians) that allows them to have special knowledge about oral and dental and general surgical experience to handle constructive surgery and oncology.
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