Oral Cancer - What you need to know

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth or throat. Most oral cancers begin in the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of head or neck cancer. Frequent sun exposure is also a risk for lip cancer.

Symptoms of oral cancer include:

• White or red patches in your mouth
• A mouth sore that won't heal
• Bleeding in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• Problems or pain with swallowing
• A lump in your neck
• An earache

Oral cancer treatments may include surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Some patients have a combination of treatments. For more information: Oral Cancer Foundation.