Oral Cancer and It’s Impact on Human Life

Oral Cancer popularly known as Mouth Cancer is one of the biggest reason for deaths in India. It actually affects more than 5 to 8 lakh people at any point in time in the country. The annual incidence of Oral Cancer in the world is maximum in India. India has actually become a leader in Oral Cancer. More than 2.5 lakh patients are diagnosed with mouth cancer. It is one of the most debilitating diseases and one of the most common reason is tobacco. Another common reason, which is not very well advertised is alcohol.

Tobacco and Alcohol completely drag the patients down the path of a very horrifying mouth cancer and this disease not only makes the patient completely unliveable in the society but also his family suffers through a mental anguish. The side effects of treatment are everlasting on the patient. One of the changes which we could do on a grass root level is to educate people by telling them the harmful effects of tobacco in almost all ways and that they should quit tobacco as early as possible. Secondly, we should stress on reducing the consumption of alcohol as it has an equal carcinogen as tobacco.

Symptoms of Oral Cancer include –

• Pain areas: in the ear, mouth, or mouth and face
• Pain circumstances: can occur while swallowing
• Mouth: ulcers, bad breath, or red and white plaques
• Common Side-effects: coughing or enlarged neck lymph nodes

Though Oral Cancer most affects people of the ages 60+, there is a heavy range of people between 41 to 60 too.The social sanctioning or social prestige which alcohol has got because of the movies and the changing Indian culture has been the reason for the increase in its consumption in the society. Tobacco is the known culprit and alcohol is the sidekick of the same culprit and would go as far as affecting same as oral cancer. A very important contribution which the doctors at Deccan Clinic have done in this treatment of oral cancer is to reduce the deformity, by introducing innovative ways of performing the surgery for these patients, because 80% to 90% of patients will require some kind of surgery and this surgery will have scars over the face. Those scars can be avoided with a complete surgery.

The doctors do that surgery through a skin crease, during the surgery nothing can be seen. Here the assistance of reconstructive surgery is needed. When we reconstruct, the reconstruction is done by a tissue which is taken from some other part of the body and that part is put into the oral cavity and reattached to the blood vessels, so that it completely becomes a part of the oral cavity. Importance is given to preserving the structure of the face as it is a vital factor. If we can keep that face intact and as it was before the surgery, then we have probably achieved the best for that man.

Know more about Expert Surgical Oncologist Dr Sanjay Deshmukh