Gum cancer: first signs of the initial stage

Oncological diseases in the oral cavity are quite common and their growth has increased recently. External pollutants, nutritional quality and many other reasons provoke the weakening of our antitumor protection in the body. Against the background of weakened protective mechanisms, the failures occurring in the cells increase and at some point get out of control.

The cells begin to actively divide and multiply, without performing their functions. Due to its primitive structure and rapid growth, cancerous tissue feeds on the surrounding healthy tissues in the body. Displacing living tissue and destroying everything in its path, the altered cells grow and spread throughout the body, forming foci of metastases in the internal organs of a person. These metastases, in turn, lead to the destruction of all organs and systems.

Cancer cells can form in any organ or tissue, and if you have a question, "Is there gum cancer?", the answer is obvious. Gum cancer is an oncological disease that is associated with the rapid growth of mutated cells in the gum. Due to the fact that the organs of the oral cavity have an active blood supply and innervation, tumor cells grow and spread very quickly.

It is worth noting that cancer most often affects the skin and mucous membrane. This tendency is explained by the high potential for cell division. Due to the fact that the cells of the skin and mucous membrane divide more often, accordingly, more failures in this process can occur. The thing is that the above-mentioned structures of our body perform a protective function and are exposed to a variety of irritants. Due to frequent cell proliferation, epithelial tissues protect our body from external agents.

Thus, when exposed to unfavorable factors, the antitumor defense of our body decreases, resulting in cancer.

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Epidemiology

Based on statistics, gum cancer occurs predominantly in men aged 55 years and older. What explains such statistics? Most likely, the prevalence of bad habits among males, as well as greater concern about the body on the part of women. As is known, women seek medical help more often than men. Such statistics indicate that dentists can diagnose this oncological disease at the initial stages if patients seek help in a timely manner and regularly come for preventive examinations.

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Causes gingival cancer

First of all, it is worth noting the risk factors for gum cancer, as they are a serious prerequisite for the appearance of a tumor. Unfortunately, cancer is not a disease that has one specific cause. It is a multifactorial disease, in which banal stress or bad habits can play a decisive role. And in order to protect yourself from oncology, you need to pay attention to all known causes and risk factors. The causes of this disease are still unclear, so the main focus will be on the risk factors for gum cancer.

Risk factors for gum cancer can be divided into general and local. General factors include a burdened heredity, harmful working conditions, stress, hypothermia, poor diet and poor quality of food consumed, bad habits, viral and infectious diseases.

Scientists have long proven a hereditary predisposition to a particular oncological disease. Therefore, it is necessary to be interested in the diseases of close relatives in order to pay attention to genetically weakened organs. Harmful working conditions imply work in mines, factories, in the production of chemicals, plastics, where there is a risk of evaporation of substances and their entry into the human body through the respiratory system. Also harmful are the evaporations of mercury, alcohol and other irritants that are encountered in the work of builders, welders and doctors. No less harmful is X-ray radiation, to which workers in X-ray rooms are exposed.

Stress, as with any disease, plays an active role in oncopathology and is a fertile ground for failure in the body. Chronic stress increases the level of cortisol production, which stimulates vascular spasm. As a result, spasmodic vessels lose elasticity and, accordingly, functionality, causing disturbances throughout the body. Hypothermia, like overheating, causes weakening of the body, reducing its resistance to bacteria, viruses and fungi. In such conditions, the level of antitumor protection also decreases.

The quality and mode of nutrition directly affects the body's resistance. The lack of necessary proteins, microelements and vitamins deprives the body of the building material of the immune organs, which subsequently fail to cope with their functions and immunodeficiency occurs. Due to the violation of the quality and mode of nutrition, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract appear, as a result of which the body becomes even weaker.

Bad habits, namely, smoking, alcoholism and drug addiction, also weaken the body's immunity, placing greater emphasis on the liver and lungs. These organs cleanse the body and when their work is disrupted, toxic conditions arise. Not to mention that the effect of these substances on the mucous membrane and gums causes stagnation in tissues, disruption of trophism and division of epithelial cells.

Viral and infectious diseases are dangerous because they weaken the body's immune system. For example, the herpes virus is in the human body throughout life and gradually weakens it due to regular exacerbations of certain diseases. It suppresses the immune system and thus weakens the body's defense against oncological diseases.

Local risk factors for gum cancer include precancerous conditions, chronic oral diseases, decayed teeth, chronic injuries, malocclusion, missing teeth, and faulty dentures.

Precancerous diseases of the oral mucosa are a direct threat to gum cancer. These include Bowen's disease, warty leukoplakia, papillomatosis, erosive-ulcerative lichen planus and systemic lupus erythematosus. If the above diseases are detected, it is necessary to start treating them immediately, as they can soon become malignant and develop into gum cancer.

Chronic diseases are often the basis for the formation of tumor cells. With prolonged diseases and chronic inflammation, the immune defense is weakened in this area, due to a long process. Under the adverse effects of various factors, cells mutate and begin to divide uncontrollably.

Destroyed teeth act as a source of infection and as a traumatic agent. In the first case, such a tooth causes a chronic sluggish inflammatory process with all its consequences. And in the second case, chronic trauma to the gum and surrounding mucous membrane disrupts the processes of cell division, which ultimately contributes to the formation of cancer. A disturbed bite also refers to a chronic traumatic agent that provokes the emergence of a long-term non-healing lesion. Over time, this area will become malignant and a disappointing diagnosis will be made.

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Pathogenesis

The mechanisms of cancer formation are still being studied, so there are many theories of its origin and development mechanisms. The basics of gum cancer pathogenesis are that under adverse effects and a weakened body, a failure in the division of gum cells occurs. Cells mutate and begin to divide uncontrollably, increasing their population to hundreds of thousands. These cells corrode healthy tissues, vascular and nerve bundles. Even bone and cartilage tissue are affected by oncological disease, due to the aggressiveness of cancer cells.

Gum cancer, or carcinoma, or squamous cell cancer of the gum, depending on the type, is divided into keratinizing and nonkeratinizing. It occurs in four stages, which pass into each other quite quickly. At the first stage of gum cancer, a small formation is found on the gum without affecting the lymph nodes and spreading to other organs. The second stage is a medium-sized tumor without affecting the lymph nodes and spreading to other organs. At the third stage, the tumor size may vary, but there is damage to the lymph nodes without spreading to other organs. The fourth stage means large tumor sizes, affected lymph nodes and metastases in internal organs.

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Symptoms gingival cancer

The localization of gum cancer can be completely different, so cancer of the upper and lower gums is quite common. It is very important to know the symptoms of gum cancer and its first manifestations, since the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the more favorable the outcome will be. With gum cancer, the first signs are often bleeding gums and pain. Such symptoms are also observed with gingivitis and periodontitis, but they will not progress as quickly as with gum cancer. The first signs will be followed by the formation of a dense infiltrate on the gum or bleeding granulations from the periodontal pocket. These are the characteristics of the initial stage of gum cancer, in which cancer cells develop inside the gum.

Subsequently, ulceration of the formations occurs and an ulcer is formed on the gum. It is painless, has a crater-like shape and a dense base, surrounded by a red mucous membrane. Such an ulcer can grow deep into the gum and affect bone tissue. The spread of cancer cells to the lymph nodes and other organs occurs quite quickly, due to the high activity of metabolic processes in the gum.

Common signs of gum cancer include sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, increased body temperature and other signs of intoxication.

Many parents are interested in the question of what gum cancer looks like in children. Indeed, parents need to know the characteristics of the course of oncological diseases in children. In children, the physiological color of the gum is bright red, and therefore it is very difficult to notice the redness of the gum in such a picture. In infants with gum cancer, massive salivation occurs, they refuse to eat, scream, and sleep poorly. In the oral cavity, a cloudy seal appears on the mucous membrane of the alveolar process, which quickly ulcerates. In middle-aged children, diagnosis occurs faster, due to the fact that the child no longer has a language barrier and can complain to parents about pain and bleeding, explaining his complaints and describing their nature.

Complications and consequences

The consequences and complications of gum cancer are the spread of cancer cells throughout the body and toxic damage to the body. Metastasis can occur in absolutely any organ, and when it forms, the vital resources of this organ will be used up to its death.

However, if gum cancer is cured, there may be consequences of radiation and chemotherapy. They include disruption of blood formation processes, toxic liver damage, ulceration of mucous membranes, trophoneurotic disorders and serious suppression of immunity. Therefore, after treatment of gum cancer, it is necessary to undergo a course of rehabilitation of the body to restore and normalize physiological mechanisms.

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Diagnostics gingival cancer

When making a diagnosis, it is very important to take into account all the information on this disease, especially paying attention to occupational hazards, previous diseases, bad habits and cancer symptoms. In oncological diseases, a number of studies are carried out, such as X-ray methods, stomatoscopy, ultrasound, scintigraphy, histological and cytological examination. You can also add general clinical tests, such as a clinical blood test, urine, blood for sugar, but they do not provide specific information about a malignant neoplasm. Although, it is worth starting diagnostics with the presented studies to exclude other diseases and make a correct diagnosis.

X-ray diagnostics of gum cancer is performed to review the spread of the tumor to other areas and tissues of the oral cavity. They use from conventional X-ray to CT and MRI. Gum cancer on a CT scan will look like a formation on the gum, spreading to surrounding tissues, bone, muscles, etc. Gum cancer on an X-ray will be visible only if the cancerous tissue spreads to bone tissue, since soft tissues do not contrast in the image. The stomatoscopy method is based on changing the optical properties of pathological tissues, using fluorescent lighting. With the help of this study, it is possible to determine the inflammatory or tumor process detected in the oral cavity.

Ultrasound is also an important instrumental method for diagnosing gum cancer. This method allows you to determine the depth and volume of cancerous tissue, which plays a major role in choosing a treatment plan. Also, if the lymph nodes are affected, ultrasound helps determine their presence, location, and extent of damage. Scintigraphy is performed by introducing radioactive substances into the body that can be deposited in metastases. Thus, this method helps determine the presence, number, and location of metastases.

Cytological examination is performed by taking a scraping or washing from the affected area to analyze the cellular composition. This examination can reveal impaired cell division processes, disruption of epithelial layers, atypical structure, which will indicate the oncological nature of the disease. And finally, taking a biopsy, or histological examination, is always performed if a neoplasm is suspected. It allows you to make the necessary tissue sections and see the entire tissue under a microscope. Based on such a study, an accurate diagnosis is made and treatment tactics are determined.

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Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics of gum cancer is primarily carried out with precancerous diseases, benign tumors, long-term non-healing ulcers, and is also carried out between malignant neoplasms. Particular attention should be paid to chronic inflammatory processes of the gums, periodontium, since under unfavorable circumstances they can transform into oncology.

Treatment gingival cancer

Therapy for gum cancer should be comprehensive and include removal of the tumor and its metastases (if any), radiation and chemotherapy. It is also important not to forget about general strengthening therapy, vitamins, physiotherapy, homeopathy and herbal treatment. Together, these types of treatment form a rehabilitation complex that can effectively cope with oncological disease.

And so, after the doctor has made a diagnosis, they move on to treatment planning. Depending on the stage, form of the disease and other features, a treatment plan is formed. At the first stage of gum cancer, a surgical treatment method is used, after which a course of radiation therapy is prescribed. At the second and third stages of the disease, a course of radiation therapy may be prescribed first, after which the tumor and affected lymph nodes are removed. Then chemotherapy is prescribed. During the rehabilitation period, general strengthening measures, physiotherapy and vitamins work. At the fourth stage, when cancer cells spread throughout the body, symptomatic treatment is used, since the process is too advanced and the prognosis is unfavorable.

Surgical intervention for gum cancer is one of the main methods of treating the tumor disease. Of the surgical methods, the traditional method (tissue excision), cryodestruction, diathermocoagulation, and laser therapy are actively used. Of course, the traditional method, which involves excising the tumor with a scalpel, has become the most widespread. However, recently, laser removal of the affected area has become very relevant. Its advantages are bloodlessness of the intervention, more precise tissue excision, and improved regeneration in the postoperative period.

Cryodestruction and diathermocoagulation are used as alternative methods of tumor removal. Cryodestruction involves exposure to low temperatures on the tumor site, while diathermocoagulation involves exposure to high temperatures. These methods are used for small cancers when it is necessary to remove the tumor pointwise. These methods also require several visits to achieve results and remove all atypical cells.

During the treatment of gum cancer, medications accompany each stage of therapy. During surgical intervention, painkillers, antihistamines, tranquilizers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and adrenergic blockers are required. The main goal is the successful implementation of the surgical process, in which all these drugs will be used to reduce the risk of complications.

After tumor removal, a course of chemotherapy is usually administered. The drugs used in this course are divided into alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumor antibiotics, herbal preparations, hormonal agents, enzymatic substances, and sex hormone antagonists. Chemotherapy is aimed at inhibiting the development of tumor cells and destroying them in the body.

Restorative treatment

In the treatment of oncological diseases of the gums, vitamins and vitamin complexes with microelements are actively used. They are used during the recovery period, and are also included in the list of preventive measures for tumor lesions. Vitamins A, C and D play a key role in the restoration of damaged tissues. Vitamin C, as a powerful antioxidant, inhibits free-radical oxidation of lipids and thus protects the body from the destructive effects of decay products. Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and its intake inevitably improves bone formation. Vitamins of group B take part in metabolic processes, affect the transmission of nerve impulses together with magnesium and trophic processes in combination with iron. Thus, vitamins and microelements are an integral part of the rehabilitation period after any oncological disease, especially gum cancer.

Physiotherapeutic treatment is used during the rehabilitation and regeneration of surrounding tissues after the main therapy. It includes laser therapy, electrical myostimulation, massage, inhalation and electrophoresis of medicinal substances, UFO, acupuncture, electrosleep, magnetic therapy, exercise therapy, ultrasound therapy.

Unfortunately, traditional medicine is powerless against oncological diseases, and no matter how much we would like, it is not able to cure gum cancer. But, despite this, in the postoperative period it is possible to use herbal remedies. Herbal treatment is used in the care of the postoperative wound and in the future for prevention. Various infusions and decoctions of chamomile, oak bark, string, nettle, sage, sea buckthorn are used for rinsing and applications to the gum. Traditional treatment will not give a significant effect, but it can slightly improve the condition of the gums and the oral cavity in general.

In the treatment of gum cancer after the main treatment methods, namely the removal of the tumor, affected lymph nodes and metastases, radiation and chemotherapy, homeopathic remedies are used. This group of drugs increases the body's resistance to external irritants and improves tissue regeneration in the postoperative period. However, their effect is prolonged, and to achieve certain treatment results, you need to undergo a long course that lasts more than one month. The effect on the body is determined by small doses of active substances of plant origin, which act by accumulation.

Examples of homeopathic preparations are traumeel s, lymphomyazot, gastritol, engistol. They are taken in courses, with short breaks per month.

It is important to remember that homeopathy is not the main treatment for gum cancer! Moreover, if you prescribe these drugs to yourself, you can worsen your condition. Thus, the use of homeopathic substances can only be justified if prescribed by a doctor, and in a clearly defined dosage. Without knowing the pathogenesis of the disease, the properties of the drugs and their combinations, you cannot take such drugs on your own.

Prevention

In order to prevent gum cancer, it is important to remember that it is caused by a complex of reasons and conditions. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from such a disease, you need to visit your dentist in a timely manner to identify all problems in the oral cavity and treat them. It is important to avoid bad habits, monitor oral hygiene, and avoid toxic substances entering the body. If you have dentures in your mouth, you need to remember to visit your dentist regularly, since the dentures are in direct contact with the gum. This can cause erosions, ulcers, bedsores, and even cancer of the gum and mucous membrane. Thus, by visiting your doctor in a timely manner, you can protect yourself from any complications of prosthetics.

Also, an important factor remains the daily routine, living and working conditions. It has been proven that correction of the daily routine, nutrition and living conditions can normalize the general condition and strengthen the immune system, which in the future is the prevention of any diseases, not only oncological ones. Reducing the number of stressful situations will also have a beneficial effect on the state of immunity of both the whole body and the oral cavity.

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Forecast

The prognosis for gum cancer depends on the stage at which the disease was diagnosed. Although, of course, compared to other types of cancer, the mortality rate for gum cancer is still lower. This is due to the earlier detection of the disease in the initial stages of the tumor process. In this case, the tumor is localized in the oral cavity, has no metastases and, accordingly, serious consequences in the future. However, if you seek help at more severe stages of gum cancer, with the development of metastases and damage to other areas, the treatment will be unsuccessful. Therefore, the prognosis for gum cancer is formed depending on the stage and the presence of metastases: in the absence of damage to the lymph nodes and internal organs, the prognosis is favorable, but if there are metastases, it is unfavorable.

Thus, even with gum cancer there is a chance for a favorable resolution, you just need to see a doctor in time. And in order to do this, you just need to visit a dentist regularly to exclude any dental diseases.

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