Mouth Cancer
Cancer can occur in any organ of the body and involves abnormal or uncontrolled growth of cells.
In mouth and tongue cancer the areas most commonly affected include the floor of the mouth, the underside of the tongue and the soft palate. The most high-risk groups are those people who smoke, chew tobacco and those who regularly consume alcohol.
Early signs are abnormally reddened areas, which look inflamed. The surface of these areas can look abraded, with an appearance similar to worn velvet, sometimes speckled with white or normal mucous. The edges of these lesions are ill defined unlike ulcers.
There are many other causes for reddened patches in the mouth such as infections, vitamin deficiencies, cysts etc; if the area has not responded to treatment after 14 days then a biopsy sample should be taken to exclude cancer.
Additional Medical Conditions: