A 60-year-old gentleman came in for his routine annual check-up. After the customary check up of the teeth and gums, the cheeks were examined as was the tongue, especially under the tongue to check for any ulcers. The gums of the top teeth on the left side had a white patch.
The patient was a smoker and this was a red flag. Smokers are 5-10 time higher at risk of getting Oral cancer as compared to non-smokers. The white patch was not normal. An “excision” biopsy was advised and was carried out under local anaesthesia. This means that the white affected gums were removed and sent for examination by a pathologist. The biopsy result came back as “Leukoplakia” which is a precancerous white lesion. The patient was informed and counselled regarding quitting his smoking habit. A 2 year follow up revealed complete healing of the gums and the white patch had not recurred
Other causes of mouth cancer are ill fitting dentures or a sharp tooth causing constant irritation to the cheek/tongue; A virus like HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) or EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) can also cause oral cancer; A non-healing ulcer can also be a sign of oral cancer. Early screening for non-healing mouth ulcers, warts, white patches, white striae is very important to prevent oral cancer.
The adage “prevention is better than cure” is very accurate when it comes to a deadly disease such as oral cancer.
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