Overview

Oral cancer affects the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, palate, and throat. Survival rates exceed 80% for stage 1 but fall to around 30% for advanced disease — early detection is everything. In Kuwait and the GCC, tobacco (including shisha, medwakh pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco) is a major risk factor. Every routine dental check-up includes an oral cancer screening.

Symptoms

• A sore or ulcer in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks — the most critical warning sign
• Red (erythroplakia) or white (leukoplakia) patches inside the mouth
• A lump, thickening, or rough spot in the mouth or lip
• Persistent sore throat or difficulty swallowing
• Numbness, pain, or unexplained bleeding in the mouth
• A swelling or lump in the neck

Causes & Risk Factors

• Tobacco in all forms — the single biggest risk factor: cigarettes, shisha, medwakh, and chewing tobacco (naswar) common in GCC
• Alcohol consumption
• HPV infection — increasingly important cause of oropharyngeal cancer
• Prolonged sun exposure (lip cancer)
• Chronic irritation from ill-fitting dentures; poor diet low in fruit and vegetables

Complications

• Metastasis to lymph nodes and distant organs if diagnosed late
• Significant functional impairment of eating, speaking, and swallowing after treatment
• Radiation complications: xerostomia, osteoradionecrosis

Diagnosis

Oral cancer screening is performed at every routine dental check-up. Any suspicious lesion is biopsied immediately. CT, MRI, and PET scans stage the disease. Do not wait — early biopsy is critical.

Treatment

• Surgery: excision with clear margins — primary treatment
• Radiotherapy post-surgical or as primary treatment
• Chemotherapy alongside radiotherapy for advanced disease
• Reconstruction with flap surgery to restore form and function
• Multidisciplinary team: dentist, oral surgeon, oncologist, speech therapist

Prevention

• Stop all tobacco and shisha use — the single most important step
• Limit alcohol; HPV vaccination protects against oropharyngeal cancer
• Attend dental check-ups every 6 months for oral cancer screening
• Report any mouth sore not healing within 3 weeks to your dentist immediately
• Wear SPF lip balm; eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables

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