Patients diagnosed with oral cancer are typically treated by a team of physicians and specialists among which could potentially include an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, a general oral surgeon, a radiation oncologist, a medical oncologist, a dentist, a reconstructive surgeon, a dietitian, a nurse, a social or hospice worker and a speech therapist.
Typically treatment begins with surgery designed to remove the tumor for the oral cavity. If it has been determined that the cancer has spread the surgeon will also remove lymph nodes in the neck or conduct more operations if the disease has spread throughout the body.
Some patients are treated utilizing radiation therapy, which capitalizes on the use of high-energy rays from a large machine designed to force the damage of cancer cells and to also hinder further growth. Much like surgery, radiation therapy only damages or works on the cells in the treated area.
Radiation therapy can be administered to patients both before or after surgery. When radiation therapy is utilized before a surgery it helps to shrink the tumor for a greater chance of removal. When used post surgery radiation therapy helps to destroy any potentially remaining cancer cells to reduce the chances of the cancer surviving and continuing to spread.
Sometimes radiation therapy is used alone for tiny tumors located in the mouth, sometimes radiation therapy is used in combination with surgery or even additionally chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is when a physician uses drugs in an attempt to kill cancerous cells. Researchers are constantly adding new drugs to the combination which might aid in the treatment of oral cancers. Chemotherapy works with other forms of cancer treatment in an attempt to shrink and destroy tumors to prevent the spreading of the disease.
Often times oral cancer is treatable with a variety or combination of these methods.
