WESTWOOD, CA — With all of the attention that breast cancer and other cancers like Hodgkin’s, prostate, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer attract, so few people think to check for cancer in the mouth. But, each year over 35,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer. And according to the American Cancer Society, about 25% of oral cancer patients will die of the disease within five years of diagnosis.

According to the ADA, oral cancer can develop on the lips, gum tissue, inner cheek, tongue, roof of the mouth, or in the throat. The ADA also notes that tobacco and alcohol use are the top risk factors for oral cancer, but this disease can develop without any warning.

Although oral cancer can develop without any symptoms, there are several key symptoms people should recognize and check for to catch the cancer early. The Consumer’s Guide to Dentistry notes that continuous pain in the mouth, sores or bumps, oral lesions, difficulty moving the mouth and jaw, difficulty swallowing or chewing, sore throats, bumps in the neck, excessive pain in one ear, unexplained bleeding from the tongue, gums, or checks, or numbness in a specific area of the mouth or jaw could all point to the presence of cancerous cells.
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