Cancer

We all know about cancer that it is a very serious disease and that sometimes it can be fatal. We know that most of the times it appears as a tumor and you must go to the doctor immediately when you suspect something or you see a sign that you may have cancer affecting some part of your body. But we avoid seing any photos with cancer patients ans especially the ones that document the area that is affected by the cancer because we consider it morbid and sick and we don't have the stomach to look at them. Well, there is a problem here because we only know things in theory about cancer.

But how are we supposed to recognize an abnormal formation on our body and differentiate it from a simple wound or lesions if we never saw pictures with this disease and we do not know what it looks like? It's not all right simple to use our imagination. I think it is better to know what to look for, what to avoid instead of just pretending that you will never get cancer, so you dont' need to know all these things. If there are some oral cancer antecedents in my family and I have an increased risk of having oral in the future, I guess it will be a good thing to see some pictures of oral cancer so that I can know what to expect and hope I will never see that in the mirror.



But because all cancer cases are both similar and also different , you should know that the same cancer can appear in many forms. For example oral cancer can appear first like a red or white spot in your mouth, on the tongue, on the palace or on the inside of the cheeks, sometimes on the gums of the teeth. These spots have a definite and clear margin and they are painful. If you treat them as infections and take antibiotics, you will notice this treatment does not have any effect. SO if any such spot or leasion does not heal after a week, it's a bad sign and you should go to the doctor immediately.



Other signs that may suggest oral cancer are: a change in the colour of the oral tissue, a sorrow spot, a lump or rough spot or crust inside the mouth, difficulty speaking, swallowing or moving the jaw or the tongue, any sensation of numbness, voice changes or the way teeth fit together. It is also adviceable to have regular dental check-ups because nowadays they have very advanced technology that is able to detect the cancer because it reaches the surface of the mouth. It is also useful to know the risk factors that increase the possibility to get oral cancer: smoking and alcohol overuse, family history of oral cancer. Men also have an increased risk of oral cancer , almost double than women and also black people are considered having an increased risk. Oral cancer incidence is higher as you get older, so I guess age can be considered a risk factor, too.

If you are interested and want to see more pictures of oral cancer or simply want to find out more about this topic, just follow these links: www.oralcancerfoundation.org, www.entusa.com, www.quitsmoking.about.com, www.healthline.com, www.tabacco-facts.info, www.doctorspiller.com.