Diseases of Oral and Maxillofacial Cancer
There are more than 200 different types of cancer and each is diagnosed and treated in a specific way. In mouth and head and face cancers, as previously mentioned, most of the time following this complication, a mass is formed with the onset of growth and expansion.
Some cancers are not massive, and like leukemias, they start in the blood cells and spread to the blood and bone marrow.
The First Sign of Mouth and Maxillofacial Cancer
Today, one of the most common cancers is the mandible, face, and neck. The face, head, and neck are one of the areas where cancer can form and appear anywhere.
Tumors affect various components such as the lips, salivary glands, tongue, gums, palate and inside the cheeks. The more complex cancers that the patient usually notices later develop around the root of the tongue, soft tissue inside the mouth, inside the nasal cavity.
Tumors along and below the tonsils and the upper part of the throat (throat) are also very common; they are called throat cancers.
One of the main types of cancer is cancer that arises from epithelial cells. Carcinoma tumors are among the most malignant solid tumors and occur in cells that cover the outer or internal surface of organs and are called epithelial cells.
Other types of solid tumors are lymphoma, leukemia, sarcoma, blastoma, myeloma and germ cell tumors.
Among the cancers of adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of tumor related to the jaw and face. In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), cancer cells grow rapidly and form tumors.
Oral and Maxillofacial Cancer
Cancers of the head and neck can affect the tongue, mouth, salivary glands and different areas of the throat. It is sometimes seen that due to the appearance of tumors, malignant changes occur in the nasal cavity, middle ear, sinuses and larynx. In the nose, most tumors develop in cells that cover the surfaces of the nasal and oral cavity (squamous cell cancers) but some tumors develop in cells of the underlying glands (adenocarcinoma) or connective tissues (sarcoma).
By initiating and diagnosing oral and maxillofacial cancer, patients are best placed in head and neck oncology teams and under the supervision of oral and maxillofacial cancer specialists. Sometimes, depending on the type and progression of the disease, it is necessary to team up with ENT specialists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, plastic restorative specialists, ophthalmologists, radiology specialists, etc. Usually based in large hospitals, he began teamwork and therapy, and managed and controlled the disease.
Essential medical specialties in the management and control of acute and malignant cancer patients include oral and maxillofacial oncology, radiological oncology, medical oncology, pathologist, palliative medicine, radiologist, pathologist and nuclear medicine.
The most common tumor in the jaw and face area is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which arises from superficial skin cells.
The squamous cells that make up the epidermis are affected and can cause cancers of the mouth, head and neck, lung, skin and esophagus, as well as other areas such as the bladder, cervix, vagina, prostate and penis.
It is the second most common form of skin cancer after BCC.
Please read the following text carefully
Today, the number of MRONJ or Ronj disease is increasing
And on a daily basis, we are facing patients who, following their tooth extraction, the wound in that area has not healed and is necrosis and has caused irreparable complications for them.
Those patients who are taking the following drugs due to osteoporosis or prevent bone metastasis of cancers, especially breast cancer, should know that they are at risk of MRONJ or bone necrosis of the jaw and therefore those patients who inject or take the following drugs
No one is allowed to remove teeth or perform dental work without written letter from their oncologist specialist.
The most common drugs include bisphosphonates (alendronite and zometa) and senosumab.
This condition occurs following dental procedures, especially tooth extraction, and can sometimes occur on its own.
In this condition, the jaw bone does not heal and necrosis bone remains expository for weeks.
Symptoms of this problem are severe pain in the jaw, loose teeth, swelling, redness, pus secretion, ulcers, reduced opening of the mouth, lack of repair of extracted tooth site, numbness, skin tingling and nerves inside the jaw, necrosis bone and exposed jaw.
Injectable drugs, oral medications for more than 4 years, and simultaneous use of immunodegenerative drugs have a high risk and are important factors for developing this disease.
According to the latest scientific findings, to prevent the development of this lesion, the drug should be discontinued for at least 2 months and then attempt to remove the teeth, which of course should be discontinued medication or ampoules under the supervision of your oncologist.
Treatment of this disease includes surgical removal of necrosis bone and administration of appropriate antibiotics and mouthwash.
Claims related to cancer
Tumors are classified into benign and malignant
Benign tumors are tumors that grow in a short period of time
And then they stop and stop growing.
Benign tumors do not spread to nearby tissues despite their production and do not attack nearby cells or parts.
Although most cancerous lumps have the potential to grow, benign tumors do not usually grow back when removed.
Diagnosis and treatment are simpler.
They are not usually large in size and size, but they are sometimes seen as large lumps.
Some benign lumps can cause serious symptoms and problems, depending on the type and location of the masses, and although they are benign in nature, they may be life-threatening factors in terms of where they form, such as benign tumors in the brain.
Malignant tumors continue to grow and follow both the proliferation process and the process of getting bigger, and this growth is usually done quickly.
They can expand into surrounding tissues and cause damage after formation and growth in place.
There is a potential for metastasis in malignant masses, both in the short term and in the long term.
Methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Oncologist or specialist of oral and maxillofacial cancer, after visiting the patient and examining the clinical conditions, the site of production and mass proliferation, for more accurate evaluation and diagnosis of radiographic and imaging procedures, tests, MRI, sonography and … They do it to provide a treatment plan.
Then biopsy or sampling of the tumor is done and the specimen is sent to specialist maxillofacial pathology to investigate the nature of the mass and the type of mass (malignant or benign) and after reviewing the pathology response, if necessary, surgery is initiated to remove the entire mass and start treatment.
In fact, the course of cancer treatment depends on the type and severity of the disease, and depending on the patient’s condition, only surgery and removal of the tumor may be done and then the patient will be checked in consecutive months
Or, after surgery, one treatment or a combination of several treatments may be performed to improve the patient’s condition.
In the surgical process, a specialist in oral and maxillofacial cancer removes the tumor and possibly the surrounding tissue and prevents the spread of this complication.
Surgery to remove the lump and tumor is the first step in tackling cancer. After the operation, the patient will be monitored and checked again on specific dates.
The progression of the disease is checked in stages, in acute cases, usually in addition to anti-cancer drugs, radiation and chemotherapy depending on the treatment conditions and your oncologist’s opinion.
Warning Signs of Mouth and Maxillofacial Cancer
Any lumps or bumps that suddenly appear on your face, cheeks, lips, cheeks, lips, tongue, nose, palate, throat and neck and have not gone away for more than two weeks.
Any unexplained and persistent bleeding inside or outside the mouth.
Any injury or injury to the soft tissue inside the mouth or on the surface of the face that is regularly present in one place
Any sores on the face or neck or wounds inside the mouth that do not heal.
Any changes in the position and size of moles on the face and neck, or moles in the face or neck that are secretive or have persistent pain and burning
Any deformity or unexplained change in appearance and size of facial components such as cheeks, chin, tongue, eyelids, forehead, lips, cheeks, cheeks, cheeks, nose, throat and neck etc.
Any chronic and sudden and persistent nasal cramps and the appearance of a palpable lump on the surface of the nose.
It should be noted that in many cases, the symptoms are caused by other physical cases and not related to cancer, but if you see any of the above symptoms that have not gone away or worsened after two weeks, it is better to visit and examine more closely to the specialist or specialist in oral and maxillofacial cancer diseases or oncologist
Surgery for cancerous masses in the mouth, jaw and face
Cancer Mass Surgery is a procedure to remove and remove a tumor or tumor from the inside of a patient’s body. Solid tumors are usually surgically removable.
The type of surgery varies depending on the type of lump and pathological response, and depending on your oncologist’s treatment plan, he or she may undergo anesthesia if the tumor is small and available, or if it is large and has limited access
Surgery is not a guaranteed procedure to remove cancer cells because there is a high chance that the disease will recur in the same place or in other components.
For this reason, the surgeon specializes in oral and maxillofacial cancer diseases if necessary, removing the parts around the tumor to reduce the risk of recurrence, or if the cancer develops next to the lymph nodes of the face or under the throat, they will probably remove the surrounding lymph in addition to the mass itself and surgery to ensure that the cancer does not spread.
Contact with Oncology Surgery Subspeciality
Patients with known cancers of the tongue, palm of the mouth, mouth mucosa, jaw, facial skin, palate and sinus can contact Dr. AlirezaModaresi, a specialist physician of oncology surgery (a specialist in oral and maxillofacial cancer surgery).
Radiation, chemotherapy
During radiation therapy using X-rays and alpha waves, waves are produced that during the use of these waves, genetic damage is inflicted on cancerous tumors
Eventually, it leads to the death of cancer cells.
In fact, by using a certain type and dose of gamma ray energy, which varies depending on the type and extent of the disease, cancer cells are prevented from growing and dividing. During this process, healthy cells in that area may also be damaged, but in a short period of time they begin to regenerate and regain their healing.
Radiation therapy has different side effects. Hair loss at the site of radiation therapy, anorexia, changes in the nervous system, changes in soft tissue and skin tissue, etc. It is a side effect of radiation therapy.
Your oncologist will decide after surgery, depending on the type of surgery and the type of lump and location, whether to use radiation or chemotherapy and anticancer drugs.
Radiation Therapy Effects
Radiation therapy, in addition to helping the patient speed up the healing process, can also have negative effects on the body. Some of the side effects of radiation are:
- Sore throat or mouth
- Dry mouth and loss of salivary gland function
- Tooth decay
- Changes in speech
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sore throat or bleeding gums
- Skin and Oral Infections
- Jaw pain
- Fatigue
- Changes in the ability to detect taste and smell
- Changes in your skin, including dryness and irritation
- Weight Loss
- Thyroid changes
Chemotherapy Complications
Like radiation, chemotherapy is prescribed to help patients with cancer recover, but it has its own complications
- Hair Loss
- Painful mouth and gums and bones
- Bleeding in the mouth
- Mouth and lip ulcers
- Weakness
- Poor appetite
- Nausea
- Anemia
- Numbness or numbness in the hands and feet
Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Cancer
If you are suffering from benign or malignant oral, maxillofacial tumors, you can contact us for a visit with a specialist surgeon in oncology surgery.
- Saturdays: 14:00 to 20:00 - Punak clinic
- Sundays: 14:00 to 20:00 - Shariati clinic
- Mondays: 14:00 to 20:00 - Punak clinic
- Thursday: 14:00 to 20:00 - Saveh clinic
What should be done to treat oral and maxillofacial cancer?
Patients who see any scars on the head and face and neck or soft tissue inside the mouth and tongue that are frequently repeated, suspected of having a benign or malignant lesion in the mouth and jaw and face should be referred immediately to a specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeon or cancer surgery fellowship or for examination, possible biopsy, diagnosis and stating.
Biopsy surgery or biopsy is the first step in the diagnosis of the type of mass, lesion or tumor that after being sent to specialized pathology of the jaw and face, the type and nature of the lesion is determined if there is no cancer or lesion that is not a problem, if the lesion or lump is benign, multiple checkups and follow-ups in the months and years ahead to control and check the patient’s condition.
Finally, if it is malignant, cancer surgery should be performed for patients with cancers that affect the mouth cavity, salivary glands and skin, regardless of whether it is advanced or not. The tumor and connective tissues are removed and radiotherapy is needed after surgery or with chemotherapy if needed.
Broader treatments are needed for more advanced cancers. In patients who develop advanced cancer, the tumor may involve the entire jaw or part of the jaw, part of the cheekbone, part of the forehead, part of the palate, part of the tongue, part of the tooth supporting bone, part of the soft tissue, and the scalp and face, or all of these.
Therefore, the cancer surgeon has to remove the entire bone or part of it, and the whole soft tissue, skin, or part of it, along with the mass.
Therefore, after cancer surgery, regeneration of soft tissue or hard tissue, i.e. regeneration of skin, bone, teeth, etc. It also needs to be done, often using microvascular surgery and tissue transfer from part of the body to a cancerous area in the jaw and face.
Bone, muscle, and skin can be taken from other healthy parts of the body and used to transplant and replace damaged cancer. Sometimes, after heavy surgery of cancer, with extensive bone or skin grafts to the face and neck tissues, postoperative rehabilitation is needed, depending on the type of treatment.
Rehabilitation is a process that helps the patient return to normal and normal functioning and living conditions as much as possible and helps in speech, chewing, swallowing, movement of facial parts and facial form, which are important goals of rehabilitation.
All this is done to achieve functional rehabilitation, physical and aesthetic conditions so that the patient can return to his or her place in society, work and family as usual and rationally.
Psychological factors are also very important factors that from the onset of involvement and cancer diagnosis should be monitored and improved by the help of psychiatrists and psychoanalysts in parallel with the beginning of treatment
Certainly, the patient enters the minor or acute and chronic depression phase, among which psychological factors have a significant impact on the healing and treatment of the patient. Therefore, in addition to oral and facial cancer surgery and finding a specialist in maxillofacial cancer surgery, you should also seek out qualified psychiatrists to help the patient control the disease.