Nowadays, people consume a variety of food items, which can actually worsen their oral health. Gradually, it starts to create some serious problems like cancer, and it breaks down your oral health in stages. According to medical professionals, there are mainly four stages to define oral cancer stage (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th), but some doctors also include stage 0 as their pre-oral cancer stage. Their reports say that among all, 1st oral cancer stages are the most hectic ones because they create the initial root of the problem. Oral cancer is one of the most known cancers that usually targets old age people, especially those 60 or older. If proper treatment and diagnostic methods are not used, then it can create problems on your lips and the parts of your tongue. According to doctors, it mostly affects the oropharynx, tonsils, and the side and back part of the throat.
Table of Contents
Know About Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is also called mouth cancer, and it generally occurs in the mouth. Most people consider it a common problem due to its non-problematic appearance. However, with time, the begins to show its symptoms like white patches, bleeding, etc. If you ignore this problem now, you will see that the cancerous cells start to move from your mouth to your throat and then to other areas like the head and neck. According to the latest medical reports, around 63 percent of individuals in the world suffer from oral cancer, and their reliability mostly around 5 years after proper diagnosis and surgery.
Read More About – Tomato Fever, Symptoms, Treatment, Food List, and More
1st Oral Cancer Stages and Their Symptoms
After proper diagnosis, your medical professional can tell you about what is your oral health condition if you are not suffering from cancer. If in case, they find oral cancer, then they will explain to you what stage of your cancer is and how it is showing the signs. Generally, the stage of your oral cancer is decided on the basis of symptoms, causes, physical examination, like tissue biopsy or imaging test, etc. According to doctors, there are 5 stages, and among them, 1st oral cancer stages are the most important one since it shows the initial effect in your mouth. They are particularly expressed in Roman numbers like I, II, III, and IV. All the stages and their symptoms are explained in the section below:
Stage 0 Oral Cancer
This stage is also known as carcinoma in situ. It is the pre-stage of stage 1. The major sign of this stage is that it begins to show unequal cells on your lips, especially on the lining part. The other symptoms include changes in color or texture and white patches.
1st Stage Oral Cancer
This stage is the advanced version of stage 0, and it can be identified on the basis of its size. If you see a tumor more than 2 cm, then it must be one of the signs of 1st oral cancer stages. Another important thing to notice about this cancer is, it has not moved to the lymph nodes since it is an initial stage of the problem. Its symptoms include thickening of buccal mucosa, mouth ulcer, color changes, white patches (leukoplakia), red patches (erythroplakia), and red and white mixed patches (erythroleukoplakia).
2nd Stage Oral Cancer
This stage is counted as one of the crucial stages after stage 1 to identify the serious problem in your mouth. To identify this, it shows the size of the tumor is greater than 2 cm but lower than 4 cm. Like stage 1, it has not moved to the lymph nodes. Its symptoms include swollen salivary glands and pain in the mouth.
3rd Stage Oral Cancer
According to science, stage 3 is the second last, most advanced stage of oral cancer. During this stage, the tumor becomes greater than 4 cm in size. Unlike stages 1 and 2, the tumor has expanded its area to the lymph nodes, located particularly in the neck. Its symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, pain in the mouth, slurred speech, dentures, and swollen salivary glands.
4th Stage Oral Cancer
Stage 4 is the final and most advanced stage among all the stages that we have discussed earlier. At this stage, the size of the tumor can be more than 4 cm. Unlike previous stages, it has one lymph node that is greater than 3 cm in size. The symptoms associated with this cancer are loose teeth, swelling of jaw jawbone, swelling tongue and side area, pain during swallowing, hoarseness, pain in the ear, and slurred speech.
Read More About – Right Side Stomach Pain: Meaning, Causes, Prevention, and More
Treatments of the 1st Oral Cancer Stages
To treat the first stage and other stages of oral cancer, your healthcare provider will treatment method mentioned below according to your oral health condition.
- Glossectomy
- Maxillectomy
- Neck dissection
- Radiation therapy
- Primary tumor surgery
- Mandibulectomy
- Chemotherapy
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy
- Targeted therapy
- Reconstruction
- Immunotherapy
Conclusion
At first glance, oral cancer does not look deadly to most people, but with time, it shows the actual effect on your body, especially in your mouth. The most hectic one among all is one of the 1st oral cancer stages, that usually the beginning of all the problems. However, it can be treated if the proper treatment method is used at the time. Make sure that you are visiting your medical professional for monthly check-ups. Through this, they can properly examine your oral health condition and guide you on what is best for you.
According to medical reports, these cancerous stages can be prevented by applying preventive measures in your daily life. For instance, stop chewing tobacco and smoking. Also, if you are in the middle of treating your oral cancer by yourself, then stop doing that now. Because it can cause a very serious problem that will not cure even after performing surgeries.
You must be logged in to post a comment.