According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, up to 50,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer every year. Among those patients who are diagnosed, only 57 percent will still be alive in five years. The most common age group of oral cancer patients is between 40 and 60 years old, though specific factors may increase your risk. Watauga, TX oral surgeon Dr. Christopher Tye can help you determine whether you may be at risk of developing oral cancer by (1) screening your oral tissues for lesions, cysts, and other signs of oral cancer, (2) biopsy of oral tissues, (3) and treating potentially cancerous tissues.
Contact Texas Oral Surgery specialists to learn about your risk factors for oral cancer. Getting screened can give you peace of mind and help ensure any signs of danger are treated in their earliest stages. Call 817-552-3223 to make an appointment.
Risk Factors for Oral Cancer
Oral cancer screenings are very important because early treatment can increase survival rates. Whether or not you have noticed any changes to the tissues of your mouth and throat, you should be aware of the factors that may put you at greater risk of developing cancerous tissues.
- Age and Gender:Two-thirds of patients diagnosed with oral cancer are over the age of 55 and men are twice as likely as women to develop oral cancer.
- Exposure to UV Rays: If you work outdoors more than indoors, you may be more likely to develop oral cancer.
- Genetic Factors: If you know of family members who have developed oral cancer, you may have inherited factors that put you at greater risk.
- Alcohol and Tobacco Use: About 70 percent of patients diagnosed with oral cancer consume alcohol daily and 80 percent use some form of tobacco.
- HPV: Approximately 25 percent of patients diagnosed with oral cancer also have the human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Immune System Suppression: Drugs used to suppress the immune system to treat immune disorders may put patients at a higher risk for developing oral cancer.
Possible Signs of Oral Cancer
Some possible signs or oral cancer include changes to texture, thickness, color, or sensation of the soft tissues of the mouth and throat. This can include the gums, tongue, palate, or any other areas of the mouth. Patients may notice a cyst, lump, thickening, change in texture, or numbness in one localized area.
Some patients will not notice any changes in the tissues of the mouth and throat, of course. That’s why a professional screening is so very important. In our office, we have the most advanced tools used to detect changes that may be too subtle for you to notice. These include laser lights and 3-dimensional x-ray imaging. When you visit Watauga, TX oral surgeon Dr. Chris Tye for an oral cancer screening, you have the advantage of the most accurate cancer-detection tools available.
Screening Leads to Early Treatment and Increased Rates of Survival
As we mentioned before, early detection is the key to surviving oral cancer. When you wait for a cancerous growth to become a noticeable problem, you increase the risk of letting the disease advance beyond the point when it is curable.
If we find any potential signs of oral cancer during your screening we will: evaluate the symptoms, biopsy the tissues, and remove the tissues with laser surgical tools if they are found to be problematic.
Contact Texas Oral Surgery Specialists for Your Oral Cancer Screening
Contact Watauga, TX oral surgeon Christopher Tye for a professional oral cancer screening if you have ever used tobacco products, consume alcohol daily, or have other risk factors that may increase your odds of developing the disease. Call 817-552-3223 to schedule your appointment. We can help you have peace of mind knowing that any possible signs of a problem are assessed and treated appropriately and in a timely manner.
