Oral Cancer Treatment

Question: Treatment for Oral Cancer? When somebody is diagnosed with oral cancer at an early stage how do doctors treat oral cancer? Thanx in advance! - Damian S

Answer: Early stage disease (basically no lymph nodes and small lesion) would be either surgery or radiation

Question: for cancer oral medicine treatment is possible?

Answer: Chemotherapy is administered in different ways, including that of Oral medication Chemotherapy, depending on the drugs to be given and the type, stage, grade and severity of cancer. Doctors decide the dose of chemotherapy drugs considering many factors, among them being the patent's height and weight. Oral chemotherapy is given by mouth in the form a pill, capsule, or liquid. This is the easiest method and can usually be done at home. Chemotherapy medications enter a person's body in different ways, depending on the drugs to be given and the type of cancer. The goal is for the chemotherapy drug to reach the tumor. Some areas of the body are less accessible for anticancer drugs, and this is considered when the doctor determines the route of administration. For example, the blood-brain barrier refers to the inability of some anti-cancer drugs to travel through the bloodstream and enter the brain or the fluid surround the brain. Areas of the body that are inaccessible to a particular drug create a phenomenon called the sanctuary effect. In other words, the tumor is safe because the chemotherapy cannot reach it. To overcome a problem such as this one, the doctor must consider the route that will most effectively deliver the drug to the cancerous cells. Chemotherapy may be given by one or more of the following methods: -oral (by mouth) -injection (intramuscular or subcutaneous) -intravenous (IV) -intra-arterial (into the arteries) -intralesional (directly into the tumor) -intraperitoneal (into the peritoneal cavity) -intrathecal (into the spinal fluid) -topically (applied to the skin)-

Question: can you get cancer if you had oral or kissed the person who has cancer and is under radiation treatment ? my friend had oral sex(he got it and not gave it) and kissed a girl who has cancer and is under radiation treatment(something like that)should he worry now and should he stop making out with that person?please serious answers only

Answer: Cancer is not contagious. He should be sensitive to the fact that this girl is going through a major trauma and is likely giving sexual favors as a way to feel attractive and less stressed by her treatment. If he is only with her to receive oral sex and doesn't actually care about her at all, then he is a jerk and a very shallow human being. He (and you) should support her by being good friends and spending time with her (listen to music,watch a movie, go for a walk) and not take advantage of a vulnerable person. Hopefully he isn't taking advantage of her desperation as that would be a very despicable way to behave. You seem more concerned that cancer might be contagious for your buddy and not very concerned for the girl whose life is in jeopardy!!?? I think both of you boys need to get your priorities in order and do something to be supportive of someone in need, not because you are going to get something out of it, but because it is the right thing to do. Start living right.

Question: Can alcohol interfere with chemotherapy and other cancer treatments? My mother has oral cancer and is drinking her way through cancer treatment. Although I know I have zero controll over this -- what are her chances of coming thru cancer if she continues to drink? What are some of the risks and complications? Thanks...

Answer: The doctor won't want her to drink, and I'll bet as the chemo progresses a little more she probably won't be able to. Nausea is one of the side effects of Chemo and also excessive alcohol consumption, so I'm thinking she won't be keeping the liquor down.

Question: is oral cancer curable? a 65 yrs old mom of three children, suffering from oral cancer.but she is diabetic and has asthma . right now she is taking treatment for oral cancer,that is chemotheraphy & radiation, it is very painful.she has a swelling inside cheek at only one place.is it curable

Answer: Eighty-one percent of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer patients survive at least 1 year after diagnosis. For all stages combined, the 5-year relative survival rate is 59% and the 10-year survival rate is 48%. These survival rates have not changed much in the past 20 years. If the cancer is found early, before it has spread to lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is around 82%. If it has spread to lymph nodes, the relative 5-year survival rate drops to 51%. The treatment options for people with oral and oropharyngeal cancers are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy either alone or in combination, depending on the stage of the tumor. After the cancer is found and staged, your doctor will discuss treatment choices with you. It is important to take time and think about all of the choices. In choosing a treatment plan, factors to consider include your overall health, the type and stage of the cancer, the chances of curing the disease, and the impact of the treatment on functions like speech, chewing, and swallowing.

Question: hmo vs ppo for cancer treatment? I think I might have oral cancer but I want to get insurance before I find out for sure. If I do have cancer would I be better off with a HMO that has a 0 copay, or a PPO with a 20% copay. If the bills are high then 20% can be a lot, but also I'm wondering if I could get better treatment by having the freedom of PPO. Can I get good enough treatment with an HMO, or is there a chance I will have to see a specialist not covered by HMO? ALSO- - ...... if the PPO w/ 20% copay has a "anual out of pocket limit" of 3000, and my bills are say 200,000 - so does that mean I only need to pay 3,000 for the year and not 40,000 ? -(Kaiser for HMO, ODS for PPO - both are the same rate and same deductable - 148 and 1000)

Answer: It's not going to matter - it's a preexisting condition, and won't be covered. Just because you don't have a diagnosis yet, doesn't mean it doesn't exist - and it doesn't crop up overnight. Neither of these policies will end up paying out. To your specific questions, it will depend on the particular HMO. Many HMOs are spectacular, and would get you treated just fine, if this wasn't preexisting. The maximum out of pocket is the most you pay for the year - so that would be $3,000. And it would reset January 1st, when you'd have to pay another $3,000.

Question: I Need to do some research about oral cancer on sloan Kittering web site? I need to get some information on problems with the jaw muscles after treatment and remission. My husbands jaw locks and he has trouble chewing and opening his mouth.

Answer: my husband has oral cancer and has had his tongue and jaw bone and floor of his mouth removed he was suppose to work his jaw bone to keep it from locking up he now has titanium holding the bone graft together they should have told you about this mine has had radiation already and was suppose to keep doing the jaw moving to keep it from locking if you need more help drop me an email been doing this since 08/06

Question: should a 42 year old female with oral cancer under go chemotherapy if her biopsy removed most, CTshow nogrowth should a 42 year old female with oral cancer undergo chemotherapy after her biopsy removed most of the cancer, and the CT scan showed no growth. She is feeling very skeptic about treatment. The Dr.'s pose ?, why would you suggest chemotherapy if biopsy removed it? , and you saw no growth

Answer: The biopsy was only able to remove the tumor that was able to be seen. It is possible for very tiny cancer cells (naked to the human eye) to have been left behind. It is also possible that at some point in time these will spread or metastasize to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy will help shrink or possibly eliminate these remaining cells. They may also consider radiation therapy in the future. All of this would be done to try to prevent recurrence of the cancer.

Question: How many years can a person survive for if the oral cancer(inside cheek) is detected at stage1? my friend is a 20 years old male,he fears that he may have oral cancer on the inside of his left cheek...cause he is feeling that a very small white roundish thing is growing on the inside of his cheek...he is going to the doctor tommorow but i was just wondering if he is diagnosed with stage 1 cancer of the cheek and he gets excellent treatment then how many years can he survive for....a friend told me that if it is stage one and has not spread to lymph nodes then he can survive and live a normal life for many years to come...thanks

Answer: It is VERY premature to even consider cancer and it probly isn't, but it would have no effct on his lifespan.

Question: how many years can a person survive for if the oral cancer is detected at stage1? my friend is a 20 years old male,he fears that he may have oral cancer on the inside of his left cheek...cause he is feeling that a very small white roundish thing is growing on the inside of his cheek...he is going to the doctor tommorow but i was just wondering if he is diagnosed with stage 1 cancer of the cheek and he gets excellent treatment then how many years can he survive for....a friend told me that if it is stage one and has not spread to lymph nodes then he can survive and live a normal life for many years to come...thanks

Answer: Properly treated stage one oral cancer should be curable. Blessings

Question: Do you enjoy giving oral sex? did you know it can give you cancer? I just found out that men (and I guess some women too) are getting oral cancer (like cancer of the tongue) from having oral sex with women who have the Human Papalomavirus (or HPV). I never knew that. Problem is I found out too late and now I start chemo and radiation treatments on Monday. lot's of infor for women, none for us.

Answer: More than 80% of woman have HPV....men are the carriers..... If its true that men can get cancer from giving oral then my OBGYN has to be better informed..I have always been told NOTHING can happen to guys.....So i am looking into this further becuase you are right ....people need to be better informed......Its not going to stop people from giving oral just like it doesnt stop people from going out in the sun (skin cancer) Buy its always better to be aware.....thanks for the informatio... My best to you in your recovery...

Question: What can I do about a foul odor in my cat's mouth due to oral cancer? My 10 year old cat, Muppy, was recently diagnosed with oral cancer. I'm devastated, but making sure her time left is comfortable and happy. She has a tumor on the side of her mouth, protruding out of her mouth. I took her to the vet initially for treatment, but she was terrified and they said there wasn't much they could do. Now, she has a horrible odor coming from her mouth, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to take her to the vet again until it's time to let her go because she is so frail and leaving the house causes her so much fear. Is there anything I can do to help her? Thank you all for your kind words. I am monitoring her closely, and so far, even though she is frail, she is acting like herself - looking for petting, purring, and meowing sweetly. I don't want to wait too long to put her to sleep, but while she is happy and herself I want to give her all the love I can. Thank you Bob for your sentiments, they mean a lot to me to know I am not alone. I have never had to put one of my cats down, so it's good to know what to expect. I have the love and support of my husband, to which I am endlessly grateful.

Answer: The odor may be fixed by breath mints you can buy for animals. You can get them in the pet health aisle from PetSmart and sometimes PetLand. And yes, they can come small enough for cats to eat. I'm so sorry about your cat. My cat Harry had kidney cancer, and it really tore me up when I had to put him to sleep because he was so miserable. Just the fact that you love her so much to want to make her happy should be good enough for her. She's lucky to have you.

Question: Hyperbaric for oral cancer ( A serious question - serious answers expected, please.)? I would be glad to know how many cancer of the throat ( all kinds ) have had Hyperbaric Treatment to compliment the radiation and the chemo? If so - did you feel any different and did your side effects begin returning to 'normal' faster then expected? A lot of Doctors do not mention this treatment, and I just cannot understand why. I asked the doctors the same question and as in India the needy far outnumber the rich - they feel its too expesive to use the method and it would be out of reach of the same. I asked the doctors as to who were they to decide if one could afford it or not - their job was to at least mention it. I had 42 sittings of one hour each per day and can say without hesitation it did wonders towards my recovery. It will be a pleasure to hear from all of you who have been through this torrid illness and have emerged winners.

Answer: I did 60 treatments of HBO (hyperbaric oxygen). Each one was 2 hours long. I am a brain cancer survivor and it helped to rid me of a particular type of seizure that I was experiencing. There were many mouth, throat, and tongue cancer patients getting the treatment when I was. I don't know anything about how it affected them, but I do know that it is now considered malpractice for a doctor to treat a patient for cancer of the mouth/throat/tongue and NOT refer them for HBO. Glad to hear that it helped you.

Question: Where is a source of dichloroacetic acid for oral use? Recent evidence suggests may be very effective cancer treatment. It has been used for other diseases, studied for toxicity since it occurs in chlorinated water, may have industrial uses. So someone makes it, but I haven't been able to find a source.

Answer: Try going to Froogle and typing it in the search bar. dichloroacetic acid http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=dichloroacetic+acid+&hl=en&btnG=Search dichloroacetate http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=dichloroacetate&hl=en&btnG=Search

Question: Corticosteroids contribute to cancer risk? Can a short term, high dose treatment of potent corticosteroids (topical) contribute to cancer risk? Specifically lymphoma or oral cancer?

Answer: There is a debate going on about this. Especially it's use in pediatrics http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/corticosteroidcream.htm

Question: mouth cancer? my father has a wound in his mouth (cheek), the doctor worried about and take a part for analysis. what symptoms do appear in mouth (oral) cancer, what is the treatment for that? The articles in the internet tells the proportion of the death is very high, what about other symptoms? what are the treatment ways? i worry about him very much, is there anyone who has same disease?

Answer: my husband has mouth cancer.we found out when they took a biopsy it was carsonima .he felt like he had a tooth ache a really bad one and bone was coming out of his mouth in big pieces he was in stage 4 he had surgery where they took out over a third of his tongue and the floor of his mouth plus his jaw bone.he can still talk but he has a feeding tube to eat with and a trach in his throat. he had 2 very good surgens it took them 14 hours to do the surgery and he is doing fine now .he is takeing radiation now has 6 more treatments to go they said they got it all. if you would like more info send another question with the head the same god bless you and good luck if it is cancer you have a long road ahead of you