Dental Health
Oral cancer
Acknowledgment: Reproduced with kind permission of The Cancer Council Victoria.
Cancers of the mouth, nose and throat
A cancer may start in:
- The cells that form the lining of the mouth, nose, throat or voice box
- The salivary glands or thyroid gland.
The most common type of cancer in this area is called a squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers most often occur on the lip, the tongue, the floor of the mouth or the area at the back of the mouth: the tonsils, soft palate or base of the tongue.
As the cancer develops, the cancer cells increase in number and spread into surrounding tissues (including muscle and bone) and/or to the lymph nodes in the neck. From there it may spread to other parts of the body, although cancers of the mouth, nose and throat are generally slow to do this.
What causes this cancer?
While the causes of cancers of the mouth, nose and throat are not fully understood, we do know that smoking and alcohol are important risk factors.
More than 80% of these cancers occur in people who smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Heavy drinkers are also at increased risk. People who drink heavily and smoke are at greater risk again.
Other possible causes include:
- Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight which can cause cancer of the lip
- Inhalation of certain chemicals and hardwood dusts (for example, in workplaces) which has been linked to cancers of the nose.
Treatment
Treatment will depend on where the cancer is, the type of cancer, its size and how far it has spread. Your doctor will also consider your age, general health and what you want. You may see a number of different doctors at this stage to help to decide the best treatment for your particular cancer.
Treatment may involve surgery to remove the cancer, or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells.
It is usually recommended that you have a complete dental check and any necessary dental work before your cancer treatment begins. This is because cancer treatment may make your mouth more sensitive and more easily infected.
For further information regarding oral cancer,consult your dentist, or visit the Cancer Council Victoria's website www.cancervic.org.au
Where can I go for help?
Your dentist - Most dentists in private practice participate in the Local Dental Officer (LDO) scheme, and provide dental care to veterans and their dependants. Treatment by dental specialists can also be arranged through the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Your dentist is a health professional with at least 5 years of university training in the diseases of the mouth and their treatment. Dentists can provide advice and treatment of a wide range of conditions, and if required can refer you to dental specialists for complex or extensive procedures. Dentists in the LDO scheme are in contact with the DVA dental advisers in each state - they work together to coordinate dental care and referrals to specialists for eligible veterans.
For more information regarding dental services offered by DVA, contact:
DVA on 133 254 or 1800 555 254 (if calling from regional Australia)
On the web
My Doctor.com - operated by MIMS Consumer
Health Group
www.mydr.com.au
NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au
The Cancer Council Victoria's website
www.cancervic.org.au