Early detection of palatal cancer is crucial for effective treatment. Symptoms such as bad breath, mouth sores, loose teeth, and difficulty swallowing may indicate the disease. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol consumption, genetics, and environmental influences. Treatment involves radiation therapy and surgery.
Palatal cancer can form in the back, the “soft palate” region of the roof of the mouth, or in the anterior, “hard palate” region. In both cases, early diagnosis of the disease is imperative to improve treatment options. Many of the symptoms of this type of mouth cancer are difficult to detect because early cancers are not painful. Certain symptoms such as persistent bad breath, mouth sores and loose teeth can usually be an indication of cancer.
Identifying the early symptoms of palate cancer requires preventive measures. It can reveal itself in a foul odor on the breath that is not much diminished after brushing. Also, a painless white or red lesion may appear on the palate and not disappear. White lesions are called leukoplakia, while red ones are called erythroplakia; both are potential precursors of cancerous tissue.
The teeth may also feel a little loose in the early stages. If the patient wears dentures, they may notice discomfort where none existed before. The teeth will feel looser as the disease progresses. It can also become progressively harder to swallow.
As with many cancers, the symptoms of palate cancer escalate and become more apparent if left undetected in the early stages. The mouth can become difficult to open, a condition called lockjaw. Speech patterns can change and some words can become difficult to pronounce.
Any lesions found in later stages are more likely to be raw and possibly bleeding. Teeth may begin to fall out completely at this stage, and there may be general swelling of the skin in the anterior or posterior palates. Advanced-stage lesions will be easy to spot, as they are likely to hurt at this stage, especially when touched. Some are so pronounced that a lump may protrude somewhere along the neck.
Many scientists point the finger at tobacco and alcohol consumption as important risk factors for developing soft palate cancer. Cedar-Sinai Medical Center Blames “Reverse Smoking” for Contributing to Hard Palate Tumors; this is a process of putting the lit end of a cigarette into your mouth, instead of the other way around. Genetics and environmental influences can also be considered as risks.
Once some symptoms are noticed, patients should visit a doctor. A variety of tests, from PET and CT scans to orthopantomography, are designed to help doctors assess the extent of tumor growth. Once diagnosed, the cancer is treated with radiation therapy and surgery to remove any tumors.
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