10 Mouth Cancer Symptoms
The term cancer refers to the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in one part of the body, that can end up damaging other cells of surrounding tissues and organs. Mouth cancer is any cancer that affects the oral cavity and other tissues within it. It includes cancers of the mouth itself, the tongue, the gums, the lips, cheeks, palates, and the pharynx.
Close to 50,000 cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed in the United States annually. It is more common in people older than 40 years with two-thirds of the cases occurring in men compared to women. Studies indicate that most oral cancer cases result from the use of tobacco and alcohol, and due to infection with human papilloma virus, also referred to as HPV. The following are mouth cancer symptoms, some of which may also be present in other conditions.
Symptom #1: Ulcer That Does Not Heal
An ulcer that occurs anywhere within the mouth and does not easily heal may be a sign of oral cancer. This is a common mouth cancer symptom that is present in about 8 of every 10 cases. While other mouth diseases may also be accompanied with oral sores, these tend to heal rapidly with proper treatment. However, mouth sores associated with mouth cancer remain unhealed for more than three weeks.
Another differentiating factor is that while non-cancerous sores are normally soft and do not usually bleed, cancerous sores are hard, red, thick and will usually bleed.
