Gum cancer symptoms include swelling, bleeding, numbness, pain, and difficulty speaking and eating. Men over 50 who smoke or use smokeless tobacco are at a higher risk. A dentist can perform an oral biopsy and treatment includes chemotherapy. The one-year survival rate is 81%.
There are many different symptoms of gum cancer. Most of the symptoms directly involve the gums. There are other symptoms, however, that affect a person’s neck, throat, or even ears. One of the most obvious symptoms of gum cancer, or any other oral cancer, is swelling of the gums, lips, and surrounding areas of the mouth. This can be generalized swelling or it can also include lumps and bumps in certain areas. Crusty spots and eroded areas in the mouth can also accompany the swelling.
Many people with oral cancer, including cancer of the gums, also experience some bleeding in the mouth. This bleeding may be accompanied by white and red spots in the mouth. Pain or a feeling that something is stuck in the mouth are also common symptoms.
In addition to pain, symptoms of gum cancer can also include a general feeling of numbness in the gums, face and even neck. This can make it difficult to chew and swallow or even talk. Sometimes this is accompanied by a sore throat or voice change which can also make it difficult to speak.
Gum cancer can also cause severe headaches and earaches, sometimes causing dizziness or nausea. These symptoms, combined with the pain caused by the other symptoms, can lead to dramatic weight loss because they make eating nearly impossible.
While anyone can get any form of oral cancer, it is much more common in men than women. According to the American Cancer Society, men are twice as at risk as women. The risk of oral cancer also increases with age; it is more common in people over the age of 50 than younger individuals.
Smoking is a major risk factor that can contribute to gum cancer and other oral cancers. An even bigger risk factor than smoking is smokeless tobacco. People who use chewing tobacco, salsas and snuff are 50 times more likely to develop oral cancer than those who don’t. Excessive drinking is also a risk factor that can increase a person’s chances of getting oral cancer.
If a person is showing symptoms of gum cancer, a dentist will usually perform an oral biopsy. In some cases, a scalpel biopsy may also be done, which actually removes some of the tissue from the mouth. Once the cancer is found, they usually start chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. The one-year survival rate for gum cancer is usually about 81 percent, dropping to 56 percent after five years and 46 percent after 10 years.
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