›› Cancer Of The Mouth
Cancer of the mouth is a
scary and fast spreading form of cancer that can be physically
deforming. Cancer of the mouth often requires surgical
removal of the region the cancer resides in, which may mean removing
portions of the jaw, tongue or cheeks. Mouth cancers tend to
spread rapidly and fiercely, so these drastic surgical procedures are
often required to prevent it from taking over vital areas of the body.
Some of the most famous dramatic cases of cancer of the mouth occurred
in professional baseball players during the period in which chewing
tobacco was popularly used by athletes. Tobacco use is
responsible for some 80% of all cancer of the mouth. While it
is finally realized that chewing tobacco greatly increases your chances
of developing cancer of the mouth, many people don’t fully
realize that smoking, cigars, pipes and even snuff also boost your risk
a lot as well.
The good news is,
that means if you don’t smoke or use any kind of tobacco
product your odds of getting cancer of the mouth are not very
good. If you do use tobacco, quitting now will go a long ways
in lower your risks. Also, any kind of habit that causes
irritation to your mouth may also boost your risk. If you
chew tobacco or smoke, take a look at some photos of the famous
athletes that had parts of their face removed due to cancer of the
mouth. It’s a good motivator to help you want to
quit! Hey, it worked for me.
Of course, 20% of the time cancer of the mouth happens in people that
don’t smoke or use tobacco at all, so there is still some
natural risk of getting the disease. Like all cancers, there
is some evidence of genetic linkage, and having people in your
immediate family that have had mouth cancer may mean you are at a
higher risk. It is most common in men over the age of 40, and
especially in those over 60. There is some evidence showing
that having bad oral hygiene can boost your risk of getting cancer of
the mouth. Not only will your dental hygienist stop bugging
you so much, but if you floss and brush regularly you’ll also
be lowering your chances of getting cancer!
If you are especially concerned about developing cancer of the mouth,
talk to your doctor about it next time you go in for a
physical. He or she will probably have some tips and insights
into the disease for you that may help you prevent it, or at least
settle some of your fears about it.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
