These Are the Various Causes of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can attack the tongue, lips, gums, inner cheeks, palate, to the throat. The cause of oral cancer is thought to be related to heredity, smoking, and viral infections. Based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are around 650 thousand cases of oral cancer found each year, and more than half of them lead to death from this disease. Most oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas which tend to spread rapidly. However, often people with oral cancer do not feel symptoms, so this condition is usually only detected when it has entered an advanced stage. At the time of entering further stages, oral cancer can show symptoms such as thrush, reddish spots or vaginal discharge in the mouth that does not improve in more than 2 weeks, growing lumps in the mouth, numbness or pain in the mouth, and difficult swallow or talk.

Causes and Risk Factors for Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is formed when cells in the mouth, including the tongue, gums, and lips undergo genetic mutations. These changes make cells continue to grow and multiply to form cancer. It is not clear what causes the cells in the mouth to mutate, but there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing oral cancer. One of them is if there is a biological family that has had cancer. In addition to a family history of cancer, this disease is also more likely to occur in people who have the following risk factors:

1. Smoking

Tobacco is the biggest risk factor for oral cancer. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipe cigarettes (cangklong), or chewing tobacco can increase the chance of developing oral cancer between 50 - 85%. In addition to people who actively smoke, the risk of developing oral cancer can also be experienced by passive smokers.

2. Frequent consumption of alcoholic drinks

People who drink alcohol often have a sixfold increased risk of developing mouth and throat cancer compared to people who live a healthy lifestyle. The risk will be much higher if coupled with smoking. This is suspected because both of these bad habits can damage cells in the mouth, resulting in changes in genetic traits that make them malignant.

3. Frequent exposure to sunlight

Exposure to sunlight or excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation is thought to be a cause of oral cancer in the lip area. This is more risky to occur in people who do a lot of activities in the hot sun.

4. Infected with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Certain types of HPV, especially HPV type 16 viruses, can cause abnormal tissue growth in the mouth. This can increase the risk of oral cancer. You can become infected with HPV during sexual activity, including oral sex, with people who have HPV. In addition to oral cancer, the HPV virus can also cause several other diseases, such as genital warts and cervical cancer.

5. Poor oral hygiene

Poor oral health can play a role in causing oral cancer. This is thought to be related to wounds and chronic inflammation of the mouth due to poor oral hygiene, so that cells in the oral cavity are damaged. This is supported by a research that shows that people who rarely brush their teeth, do not routinely check their oral health to the dentist, use dentures, have broken or damaged teeth that are not treated, and are often exposed to gum inflammation more at risk for contraction oral cancer.

6. Having a poor diet

There is research that reveals that unhealthy eating patterns, such as rarely eating fruits and vegetables, is thought to increase the risk of developing oral cancer. This risk can be reduced by adopting a balanced and healthy nutritious diet.

7. Suffer from certain diseases

Some conditions, such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia (appearance of red spots in the oral cavity), and salivary gland tumors, are thought to increase the risk of oral cancer. In addition, HIV infection and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can also cause cells in the mouth to change into malignant cells. In order not to get mouth cancer, avoid some risk factors, namely by stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, avoiding risky sexual behavior, getting HPV vaccination, and regularly checking oral health to the dentist. In addition, do not forget to also routinely perform oral examinations independently at home. The trick, look at the oral cavity using a mirror and see if there are lumps, blotches or canker sores, and wounds that have long healed in the tongue, lips, palate, and oral cavity.