College of Dentistry | University of Florida

Resources for Patients and the Public

 

Resources for Patients and the Public

General Information about Head and Neck Cancer

The term “head and neck” cancer describes cancer in the mouth, lips, salivary glands, tonsils, throat, nose and accessory sinuses, middle ear, and voice box. This type of cancer is often referred to as oral cancer or mouth and throat cancer. Throughout this section, we will use the term “mouth and throat cancer.”

While some view this cancer as a rarity, 100 new people will be diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer each day in the U.S. Awareness of signs and symptoms of mouth and throat cancer is necessary because, if caught early, there is a much greater chance of survival.

The following section provides patient-friendly information about the risks, prevention, and treatment of mouth and throat cancer.

Disclaimer: Links to other Web sites are provided for your convenience. We do not endorse the information presented on those Web sites, nor do those sites endorse the information contained in our Web page.

Risk Factors for Mouth and Throat Cancer

  • Tobacco: Using tobacco products of any form greatly increases your risk.
  • Alcohol: Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of mouth and throat cancer, especially when used in combination with tobacco products.
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV): New studies find that the same kind of HPV that can cause cervical cancer in women is related to some mouth and throat cancers in both men and women.
  • Sun: Excessive sunlight exposure increases teh risk of lip cancer.
  • Gender: Men are twice as likely as women to develop mouth and throat cancer.
  • Age: Most often, mouth and throat cancer develops after 40.

What Can I Do to Prevent Mouth and Throat Cancer?

Most cases of mouth and throat cancer are preventable. The best prevention is to avoid tobacco products and, if you currently use tobacco, quit as soon as possible.

Other ways to prevent mouth and throat cancer include

  • Making regular dental appointments;
  • Limiting alcohol intake;
  • Using a lip balm with an SPF when you go out in the sun;
  • Eating a healthful diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables;
  • Examining your mouth and throat for signs of cancer on a regular basis.

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Resources to Quit Smoking

In the below links, you will find information on how to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. This information is for educational purposes only and does not replace the advice of your healthcare professional.

Resources for Healthful Eating

Woman and child choose fruits and vegetables to eat healthfully
  • U.S. Nutrition Site

    • Nutrition.gov provides easy access to the best food and nutrition information accross the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers.

  • The Food Pyramid

    • MyPyramid offers personalized eating plans and interactive tools to help you plan and assess your food choices based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This site provides up-to-date information on important food safety issues and tips to healthful eating.

  • US Department of Agriculture Nutrition Site

    • This newly redesigned site offers quality information from the Food and Nutritional Informational Center and interactive elements to help you decide and plan what to eat.

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Screening for Mouth and Throat Cancer

Screening for mouth and throat cancer and for abnormal changes that may become cancer is quick and easy, and can save your life. Screening by a dentist and self-screening should be performed regularly because mouth and throat cancer is often painless at an early stage when it is also most treatable.

Signs and symptoms of mouth and throat cancer include

  • A sore, irritation, lump or thick patch in your mouth, lip or throat;
  • A white or red spot that stands out from the normal color of your mouth;
  • A feeling that something is caught in your throat;
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing or moving your jaw or tongue;
  • Numbness in your tongue or other areas of your mouth;
  • Swelling of your jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable;
  • Pain in one ear without hearing loss.

Dentist Examinations

Everyone should be examined by a dentist for mouth and throat cancer yearly.

A mouth and throat cancer examination is painless and only takes a few minutes.

Getting an oral exam at the dentist is quick and painless

During the exam, a dentist can detect certain irregularities inside of your mouth (such as a white or red spot, or a bump or sore) and treat them, if necessary, before they become cancer.

In addition, if mouth and throat cancer is detected early (when it's small and hasn't spread), you have a better chance of continuing to live a full, normal life.

ASK your dentist for a mouth and throat cancer examination.

Self-Examinations

You should perform a monthly self-examination in addition to the usual mouth and throat cancer exam performed by the dentist. The self-examination is not a substitute for regular exams by a dentist because a dentist can find certain irregularities that you are unable to see or feel even during a self-examination. However, regularly performing self-examinations could help you catch cancer at an early stage.

Use a mirror to look inside your mouth, including the roof, cheeks, lips, gums, and under the tongue. Examine for any white or red spot that stands out from the normal color of your mouth. Even if the spot doesn’t hurt, consult a dentist if it doesn’t go away within a week or two.

For more information about self-examinations, go to

  • OralCancerSelfExam.com

    • This site is devoted to oral cancer prevention through self-exams. The above link leads to a pictorial guide to performing your own oral cancer self-examination with written descriptions of what to do at each step.

  • Oral Cancer Self-Examination from the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation

    • The foundation's Web site provides an in-depth pictorial description with accompanying text descriptions on not only how to perform an oral cancer self-exam but also on what to look for and when to contact your doctor or dentist.

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Mouth and Throat Cancer Treatment Facilities in Florida

Below, you will find a list of places to go that offer mouth and throat cancer treatment in Florida. This list is just for your convenience and may not cover all cancer treatment centers in Florida.

If you wish to suggest we add a link to a facility that offers comprehensive care to head and neck cancer patients, please send an e-mail to takethebite@dental.ufl.edu.

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Community Health Clinics

Survival

Some people believe that having cancer means they will die, but that’s not always true. Many people live long, healthy lives after cancer treatment.

Improvements in screening tests (examinations that look for early cancer), early detection (finding the cancer early when it is smaller and not causing any problems), and cancer treatment are things that allow more people to live following cancer.

One very important part of surviving cancer is finding it early. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better chances are for living a long life following a cancer.

Resources for Mouth and Throat Cancer Treatment

  • National Cancer Institute: Head and Neck Cancer

    • This comprehensive site provides information on treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy as well as findings from current research and clinical trials about head and neck cancer treatments.

  • CancerNet

    • This is a service from the National Cancer Institute to help people with oral cancer and thier families better understand this disease.

  • LiveHelp

    • This Web site, from the National Cancer Institute, can immediately answer additional questions you may have about head and neck cancer and can provide smoking cessation assistance through online chats and a direct phone line, 1-800-4-CANCER.

Resources for Survival

  • Cancer Surivor Program at the University of Florida

    • The Cancer Survivor Program is a multidisciplinary clinical, educational, and research program for cancer survivors of all ages who have completed therapy and have been cancer-free for at least two years.

  • National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

    • This is the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization in the country, advocating for quality cancer care for all Americans and empowering cancer survivors.

  • The Florida Cancer Registry Program

    • The FCRP is Florida's legislatively mandated, population-based, statewide cancer registry. It is the single largest, population-based cancer incidence registry in the nation.

Finding Mouth and Throat Cancer Information on the Internet

When looking for information on mouth and throat cancer or oral cancer, consider using the following keywords: "oncology", "head and neck", "pharyngeal", "oral", "cancer", "carcinoma", "SCC", "squamous cell carcinoma" (please note that not all oral cancers are SCC or carcinomas). Some abnormal changes that are at higher risk of becoming cancer are called "premalignant lesions."

There is a comprehensive dictionary of cancer terms at http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/This dictionary may be helpful as you search and read the literature.

The Internet is not a substitute for your doctor's advice. Not all Web sites contain scientifically sound information. Please use caution when obtaining information from unknown sources. We provide links to Web sites solely for your convenience. We do not endorse the information presented on these Web sites, nor do these sites endorse the information contained in our Web site.

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General Cancer Resouces

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