Oral cancer is a type of cancer that is formed on the tongue, salivary glands, throat, tonsils and lips. The main cause for a patient to develop such type of cancer is tobacco chewing, exposure to sun, excessive alcohol intake and HPV infection. Symptoms of oral cancer include ulcer on the lip, tongue and other areas inside the mouth, difficulty in swallowing, mouth sores and some tongue problems. An indirect laryngoscopy and panendoscopy is generally performed to check the occurrence of oral cancer. Options of treatment for oral cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Let us discuss these options of treatment for cancer below.

Surgery for Oral Cancer Treatment

Surgery is mostly preferred choice for the treatment of oral cancer. The type of surgery done depends on the extent to which the cancerous cells have spread inside the mouth of the patient. Some of these types are:

• Wide Local Excision: In this method, the cancerous cells as well as the nearby healthy tissues are removed.

• Neck Dissection: In this method, the cancerous cells, nearby lymph nodes and some healthy tissues present near the neck region are removed. This method is preferred when the cancer is observed to have spread beyond the oral cavity of the patient.

Radiation Therapy for Oral Cancer Treatment

Radiation therapy is given when surgery cannot be a preferred to treat oral cancer. It can be given externally (by passing a beam of high energy x-rays through the radiation machine) or internally (by using radioisotopes in the form of needles, wires, etc). Sometimes, radiotherapy is also given before surgery. This is done to shrink the size of oral cancer so that it can be removed using surgery.

Chemotherapy for Oral Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy for oral cancer treatment or oral chemotherapy is generally administered intravenously. It is often given along with radiation therapy, as it can result in mouth infections, dry mouth or changes in taste. It can also be administered in the form of pills, but oncologists generally avoid this method and prefer it to be given intravenously.

Targeted Therapy for Oral Cancer Treatment

Targeted therapy is given when the cancerous cells are found to spread because of the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) protein. It is administered in the form of different drugs. These drugs react with the EGFR cells that are present on the surface of the oral cancerous cells, to kill them. Erbitux is the commonly prescribed drug to cure oral cancer. It is generally given in combination with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

These were some oral cancer treatment options preferred by most of the oncologists. These methods are effective and relieve the patient from oral cancer.

Please note: The drugs / medications mentioned above should strictly be taken under the supervision of an oncologist