Oral (mouth) cancer symptoms & treatment

Oral cancer, also called mouth cancer, is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the mouth (oral cavity) or the part of the throat in the back of the mouth (oropharynx), which is known as pharyngeal or oropharyngeal cancer. It’s also commonly referred to as head and neck cancer and squamous cell cancer of the mouth.

If it’s left untreated, oral cancer can spread throughout your mouth to your throat and other areas of your head and neck. Make sure to tell your doctor or dentist about any possible mouth cancer symptoms.

Mouth cancer symptoms

Mouth cancer symptoms can include:

• Lumps, bumps, swelling, thickening or crusts in your mouth or on your lips
• Eroded areas or rough spots on the gums, lips, tongue or other areas inside the oral cavity
• Chronic hoarseness or sore throat
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Difficulty chewing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dramatic weight loss

See your doctor or dentist if you have any mouth cancer symptoms that last more than two weeks. They will likely investigate other more common causes first, such as an infection.

What does mouth cancer look like?

Mouth cancer can look different depending on its stage, location in the mouth and other factors. Below are some additional signs that could indicate early stages of mouth cancer. Point out any unusual growths or changes to your doctor or dentist.

• Patches of rough tissue that can be red, white or gray
• A hard, painless lump near the back teeth or in the cheek
• A bumpy spot near the front teeth
• Growths of tissue on the roof of the mouth
• Open, oozing sores in the mouth that don’t go away
• White, red or speckled velvet-like patches in the mouth

Types of mouth cancer

There are many types of oral cancer including:

• Cheek cancer
• Cancer in the floor of the mouth
• Gum cancer
• Hard- and soft-palate cancers
• Lip cancer (the most common type of mouth cancer)
• Pharynx (throat) cancer, also called pharyngeal or oropharyngeal cancer
• Sinus cancer
• Tongue cancer

Most oral cancers are squamous cell cancers (a kind of cancer that only affects the top layer of the tissue). These cancers often spread rapidly but can be successfully treated if they’re found in the early stages of mouth cancer.

Risk factors for mouth cancers

About 75% of people who develop oral cancer have one or more of the following risk factors:

• Spending a lot of time in the sun without protecting their lips with sunscreen
• Tobacco use including smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes; chewing tobacco or placing tobacco in the nose (snuffing)
• Heavy alcohol use
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Family history of mouth cancer
• Weakened immune system

You can minimize the effects of some of these risk factors by limiting your time in the sun, wearing UVA- and UVB-blocking sunscreen; and avoiding tobacco and alcohol. You can also ask your doctor about getting an HPV vaccine.

Diagnosis of mouth cancers

To diagnose oral cancer, your doctor will examine you for any mouth cancer symptoms. They’ll feel for lumps or tissue changes on your head, face, neck and inside your mouth. They’ll also look for any sores or discolored tissue and ask about any symptoms.

Your doctor may order tests to detect mouth cancer such as:

• Oral brush biopsy, a painless test that gathers cells from a suspicious bit of tissue
• Scalpel (knife) biopsy
• Imaging tests such as X-rays, CT or MRI scans to determine if the cancer has spread

Mouth cancer stages

If your doctor diagnoses mouth cancer, they’ll let you know what stage you're in. Staging describes how far the cancer has spread. It also helps your doctor decide on the type of treatment you’ll need.

There are five stages of mouth cancer. The stages start at zero and go up to four.

Stage 0

Stage 0 mouth cancer describes abnormal cells in the lining of the lips or oral cavity that have the potential to become cancer.

Stage I

Stage I mouth cancer describes a tumor that’s two centimeters or less and hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes.

Stage II

Stage II mouth cancer describes a tumor that's larger than two centimeters wide, but not more than four centimeters, and hasn’t reached the lymph nodes.

Stage III

Stage III mouth cancer describes a tumor that’s either larger than four centimeters or has spread to a lymph node in the neck.

Stage IV

Stage IV mouth cancer describes a tumor of any size that’s spread to:

• Nearby tissue, such as the jaw or other parts of the oral cavity
• One or more lymph nodes
• Distant parts of the body beyond the mouth, such as the lungs

Mouth cancer may be stage IV when it's first diagnosed or if it returns after treatment. It can return in any part of the body where it originally developed, in the lymph nodes or in another part of the body.

Stage III and stage IV cancers are more likely to return than cancers at earlier stages.

Treatment options for oral cancers

If you have oral cancer, your team of Aurora specialists will work with you to determine the best treatment plan for your needs. Treatment may include:

• Surgery to remove the cancer
• Radiation therapy, which uses strong beams of energy to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing
• Chemotherapy, which uses oral or IV medications to kill cancer cells