Early detection can determine survival in oral cancer

A mouth sore that lasts more than three weeks may be more than an ordinary inflammation. Oral cancer often looks like a common mouth ulcer in its early stages, but its progression and consequences are very different.

The cancer can develop anywhere in the mouth, including the lips, tongue, gums, floor of the mouth and cheek lining. It accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancers, making it relatively rare, but it can be deadly when diagnosis comes late.

When detected at stages one or two, oral cancer has a five-year survival rate of more than 80 percent. That rate falls sharply in advanced cases. Many patients delay treatment because they mistake the symptoms for a simple ulcer.

Smoking and drinking are the main known causes. Smokers face a risk several times higher than non-smokers, and the risk rises further when smoking is combined with alcohol. The carcinogens in tobacco come into direct contact with the lining of the mouth. In some cases, however, the exact cause remains difficult to identify.