Diagnose Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is any type of cancer that appears in areas in and around the mouth. Oral cancer can manifest on the lips, mouth, tongue, gums and the glands that produce saliva. Oral cancer gets worse as the disease progresses. This is the reason it is important to get oral cancer diagnosed early on.
Instructions
1. Examine your mouth for any changes. You may notice a sore that does not heal and gets larger in size. You may also notice discoloration in areas of the mouth. The mouth may have red or dark spots inside of it.
2. Note any pain or discomfort in the areas of the mouth. You may have problems eating because of soreness in the mouth. You may also experience numbness in certain parts of the mouth.
3. Set up an appointment with your doctor if you have oral cancer symptoms. They need to get your medical history and run some tests to reach a definitive diagnosis.
4. Allow the physician to examine your mouth. They should note any changes that have occurred and decide what tests to order. They will probably take a sampling from your mouth to test the cells for cancer.
5. Get a series of radiology tests. X-rays and CT Scans can be used to detect the presence of oral cancer in the body. The radiologist is able to tell from these tests whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Tags: oral cancer, your mouth, areas mouth, Diagnose Oral, Diagnose Oral Cancer