Cancer is a disease wherein your own body cells become abnormal and start multiplying
uncontrollably while causing harm to the surrounding normal structures. Cancer not only causes
harm at the site where it starts, but can also spread to distant organs. Treatment of cancer involves
surgical removal of the area that has gone bad, reconstruction of the defect and/or radiation and
chemotherapy. All this affects the overall health of the body and also the functioning and aesthetics,
thus reducing the quality of life drastically. And in spite of this, there is always a chance of the
disease recurring. Due to these reasons cancer is a widely feared disease.
Oral cancer or mouth cancer refers to cancer that may occur at any site inside the mouth
that may or may not express on the face too. Oral cancer can occur on the tongue, lips, palate, floor
of mouth, jaw bone, cheeks, oral vestibule or the retromolar area. Oral cancer is a highly debilitating
disease as it affects very vital functions such as eating, swallowing, speech and the facial aesthetics.
Oral cancer statistics for India show that oral cancer accounts for almost 30% of all types of
cancer. Every hour, 5 Indians lose their lives due to oral cancer. Daily internet search volumes for
‘oral cancer treatment in Mumbai’ are very alarming. So, let us discuss the most common causative
factors of oral cancer:
1. Use of tobacco in any form, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff
and others
2. Heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages
3. Use of arecanut/betelnut/supari
4. Excessive sun exposure to the lips area
5. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection – this is a sexually transmitted disease that can
cause cancers at the back of the mouth and throat due to performing oral sex
6. A weakened immune system predisposes you to all forms of cancer
7. Chronic trauma to a part of the mouth due to teeth or a faulty dental prosthesis
8. Genetics is another reason that may make you prone to oral cancer even in the absence
of any other factor
Based on what you read above, it is clear that apart from genetics, you have control over the
other factors. So read on to know how you can lower your risk of developing oral cancer:
1. Avoid tobacco and related products such as arecanut/betelnut/supari in all forms
2. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
3. Avoid excessive sun exposure
4. Exercise regularly
5. Eat a healthy balanced diet that is rich in antioxidants
6. Maintain good oral hygiene
7. Get any faulty dental bridges or dentures corrected
8. Visit your dentist twice a year for screening
If you notice any of the following common signs and symptoms of oral cancer you should
visit the nearest dental clinic or oral cancer clinic and have yourself checked at the earliest, so that
your dentist can correctly diagnose you and offer you prompt treatment for your condition:
1. Red or white patches at any site inside the mouth
2. Ulcers in the mouth that haven’t healed over a period of three weeks
3. Swellings or lumps anywhere in the mouth
4. Pain or difficulty in functions like eating, speech and swallowing
5. Loose teeth all of a sudden
6. Soreness and bleeding from the mouth
7. Dramatic weight loss
8. Numbness over areas of the mouth or face
They say “Prevention is better than cure”, which is absolutely true. But if you happen to be
looking for “mouth cancer treatment in Mumbai’ all you have to do is book an appointment with our
Mouth cancer doctor at The Maxfac Clinic. You can do so by dropping us an email on
info@themaxfacclinic.com or calling us on +91 8879745345.