Oral Cancer Treatment

Treatment of oral cancer will depend on several aspects. The main factor, as in the rest of tumors, is the staging of the cancer through a correct diagnostic study.

The staging of a tumor will obey the size of the tumor, the type of histological tissue, the degree of differentiation of its cells, the invasion of neighboring tissues or the invasion of lymph nodes or distant organs, which would constitute what we call metastasis.

The patient's condition, age, medical history and the opinion of the patient are other factors to take into account when deciding the therapeutic protocol.

Treatment may include:

Surgery

Depending on the location of the tumor and its extension, various surgical techniques are used:

Primary tumor resection is the removal of the entire tumor and the area of ​​tissue around it called the margin of safety.

Maxillectomy, is the removal of the tumor, including part or all of the maxilla, hard palate, if they are affected.

Laryngotomy is the removal of the larynx. A large tumor of the tongue or oropharynx, which may require this intervention.

Neck Dissection If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck, removal of the lymph nodes may also be necessary.

Sometimes it is necessary to use prostheses after surgeries to achieve functionality again. The prosthetic specialty that is responsible for this work is anaplastology

Radiotherapy

It is the treatment that uses high-energy rays that damage cancer cells and prevent the spread of the tumor. Current techniques and technologies allow a large localization of the radiation zone and minimize secondary effects.

Radiation therapy can be administered externally with a machine or internally with radioactive materials. Internal radiation is delivered by different materials called radioactive seeds, needles, or thin plastic tubes placed directly into tissue. The patient remains in the hospital. The implants are kept for a few days in the tissue to be treated and are usually removed later. It can be used both preoperatively to reduce tumor mass and postoperatively to eliminate possible residual tumor cells. It can also be used as a therapy in nonsurgical patients to decrease the large volume or extent of the tumor.

Chemotherapy

They are drugs that kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy works by preventing tumor cells from replicating. Chemotherapy can be used in combination with surgery and radiation therapy. During the same tumor resection surgery, reconstructive surgery is sometimes performed, supplying with meshes or plates, mandibular bones, the floor of the mouth.