Do all betel nut or tobacco chewers get oral cancer?

Betel nut and tobacco chewers are definitely more prone to oral cancer than those who do not have this habit, but there are also other factors such as genetics, diet, environment and the person’s immune system.

Will stopping the habit improve the condition?

There are certain lesions seen frequently in the mouth of betel nut and tobacco chewers. These lesions precede oral cancer. If these preceding lesions are identified in time, then stopping the habit will definitely improve the lesion or maybe even cure it.

Can a swollen gum cause any discomfort?

It is usually associated with a mild constant gnawing pain, or may cause no pain at all The swelling may hamper the normal brushing, resulting in the increased accumulation of bacteria and hence cause more inflammation and destruction of gum tissue.

Is pain an early sign of Cancer?

Not always. Pain is usually a late symptom of cancer. People often think that persistent pain such as headache or constant pain in the region of the face means cancer, but this is rarely the case. However pain should not be ignored.

What are the side effects of treatment?

There are side effects to all forms of treatments involving oral cancer.

• Surgery
  
  If the lesion is small then there are usually no side effects, but if the lesion is large the it may require the removal of the affected structure resulting in the speech defects difficulty in swallowing and also facial deformities. These conditions can rehabilitated by speech therapy and by physiotherapy.

• Radiation therapy
  
  During and after radiation therapy the patient develops mouth sores. The patient also suffers from reduced secretion of saliva, which causes difficulty in swallowing and makes the patient more prone to teeth decay and other forms of infection.

• Chemotherapy
  
  Side effects depend on the kind of drug used. The usual side effects are loss of hair, ulcers in the mouth and in the stomach, reduced resistance to infection, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and lack of energy.

• Glossary CT SCAN
  
  It is an advanced diagnostic technique using x-rays to three dimensionally identify the site and extent of a lesion. MRI: It is more advanced technique, which uses magnetic force to diagnose both bony and soft tissue lesions