These include cancer of cheek, tongue, gums,jaw bones,undersurface of tongue

Risk Factors

• Smoking
• Tobacco chewing
• Sharp tooth
• Persistent white or red patch in oral cavity

Evaluation

• Biopsy of lesion
• CT scan
• MRI in some cases

Stage of disease

• Very early stage – cancer less than 2 cm with no lymph node spread in neck
• Early stage – cance 2-4 cm with no nodes spread
• Advanced stage- cancer more than 4 cm or lymph node spread
• Very advanced stage- tumor spread to surrounding structures with involovement of major arteries of neck

Treatments

• Very early and early stages- only surgery with primary closure or only radiation therapy.
• Advanced and very advanced stgaes- Surgery will be very radical with large defects which will require complex reconstruction. Patient also receives radiation therapy post surgery
• Role of chemotherapy is limited in oral cavity cancers