Lip cancer is a malignant neoplasm. This disease is common, but is more common in people after forty. Formations can appear both on the upper lip and on the lower lip (on the latter much more often, but treatment of the lower lip is easier).
Causes of occurrence
The causes of lip cancer are many, the most common of which is smoking. There are other factors that provoke this disease - burns, piercing, alcoholism, bacterial diseases of the oral cavity, viral infections, injuries of the mucous membrane. This type of cancer often affects older men. In young people, a malignant tumor is rarely diagnosed.
The first symptoms of lip cancer are difficult to determine, because at the beginning of the disease, the neoplasm can be confused with herpes or simply not healing damage. Usually the tumor grows slowly. In advanced cases, metastases are formed not only on the mucous membrane, but also spread to the oral cavity, grow in the bones of the jaw, and then cancer cells spread throughout the blood throughout the body.
Symptoms of Lip Cancer
- profuse salivation;
- itching, especially during meals;
- dry red border with peeling;
- a seal covered with grayish or yellowish scales.
The initial symptoms of lip cancer do not cause much discomfort, this stage is painless. Usually women usually go to the doctor promptly, since sores noticeably spoil the appearance. Men more often come to see a specialist in the second and subsequent stages. With the early diagnosis of this disease, treatment gives positive results in 70-80% of cases.
How to recognize cancer
If a long, non-healing wound appears on the lip, this is an occasion to consult a doctor. Most often, the first sign is a small seal, which gradually begins to peel off. When small crusts are detached, new, coarse and large sizes, usually gray or yellow, appear in their place.
Sometimes the very first symptoms of lip cancer are burning and itching in the mouth, especially during meals.
Gradually new dense formations appear around the nodule. With the development of the disease, a tumor, ulcers, scabs are observed.
The nodules themselves are painless on palpation, discomfort occurs when the crusts are separated. During the exfoliation, blood appears, you can see small fused nodules of light gray color.
Women often have upper lip cancer. Symptoms are no different from signs of cancer of the lower lip, the difference is only in the place of formation. A tumor on the upper lip occurs less frequently, but is more difficult to treat.
At the first suspicion of lip cancer, you should immediately contact an oncologist. If the disease is diagnosed in the early stages, then the chance of full recovery is very high - about 70%. Unlike most other
cancers, lip
cancer can be cured without surgery. Today, in the first two stages, short-focus radiation and interstitial therapy are used.
In order to timely make such a diagnosis as lip cancer, symptoms, photos and other information on this disease should be viewed by everyone who cares about their health.