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What happened to you as a gene?
For human oral cancer more than 63 karyotypes have been described. Among them recurrent
loss of chromosome 9, 13, 18 and Y deletions are more commonly reported than others. Among
other notable cytogenetic alterations cellular oncogenes B-cell lymphoma-1, int-2 and hst which
have been mapped to chromosome Iq, are important as lead to activation of the oncogenes
located in these bands and is associated with carcinogenesis. Approximately two-third of all
head and neck cancer cells contain a deleted region located in chromosome which appears in
dysplastic and carcinoma-in-situ lesions, thereby suggesting that gene in this region is knocked
out early in carcinogenesis. Chromosomal region in 3p and 13q also contain regions frequently
deleted and may yield new TSGs or oral carcinogenesis.
What caused your mutation?
This damage can cause certain genes, those in charge of starting or stopping cell growth to
malfunction. But inherited oncogene or tumour suppressor gene mutations are not believed to
cause very many cancers of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Some oral cavity and oropharyngeal
cancers have no clear cause.
What effects does your cancer have on your host’s body?
In the early stages, oral cancer can be simply unpleasant, as it causes mouth discomfort and
pain. However, if left untreated, certain types of oral cancer can spread to other parts of the
body and become even more dangerous. For example, one type of oral cancer, malignant
melanoma, has a much higher rate of metastasis (spreading to other areas of the body) than
does another type of oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. If you have symptoms of oral
cancer, you should see your doctor right away, as there is a higher probability that your doctors
will be able to get rid of the cancer if they find it early.
Oral cancer, which usually begins with a sore on your lips, tongue, or the inside your mouth, can
affect other parts of your body as well. Some symptoms include:
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pain and discomfort in your jaws, throat, and ears
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bleeding in your mouth
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weakness or numbness in your face, mouth, or neck
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sores on your mouth, face, and throat
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problems with chewing or swallowing
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hoarseness and other changes in your voice
How was the host’s life affected? What was their story?
Eating
Eating right can be hard for anyone, but it can get even tougher during and after cancer
treatment. This is especially true for cancers of the head and neck, such as oral cancer or
oropharyngeal cancer. The cancer or its treatment may affect how you swallow or cause dry
mouth, changes in taste, or other problems. Nausea can be a problem from some treatments.
You may not feel like eating and lose weight when you don’t want to.
If treatment caused weight changes or eating or taste problems, do the best you can and keep
in mind that these problems usually get better over time. You may find it helps to eat small
portions every 2 to 3 hours until you feel better.
One of the best things you can do after cancer treatment is put healthy eating habits into place.
You may be surprised at the long-term benefits of some simple changes, like increasing the
variety of healthy foods you eat. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet,
and limiting your alcohol intake may lower your risk for a number of types of cancer, as well as
having many other health benefits.
Lower my risk of the cancer progressing or coming back?
Most people want to know if there are specific lifestyle changes they can make to reduce their
risk of their cancer progressing or coming back. For many cancers there is little solid evidence
to guide people. This doesn’t mean that nothing will help — it’s just that for the most part this is
an area that hasn’t been well studied. Most studies have looked at lifestyle changes as ways of
preventing cancer in the first place, not slowing it down or preventing it from coming back.
Tobacco and alcohol use have clearly been linked to oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancers, so
not smoking or drinking may help reduce your risk of the cancer returning. Smoking during
treatment also causes treatment to be less effective, so if you smoke, it is very important to quit.
Quitting will reduce your chance of developing other new cancers (especially other head and
neck or lung cancers), which is a serious problem among oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer
survivors. Quitting can also help improve your appetite and your overall health.
How is the cancer treated?
Oral and oropharyngeal cancer can often be cured, especially if the cancer is found at an early
stage. Although curing the cancer is the primary goal of treatment, preserving the function of the
nearby nerves, organs, and tissues is also very important. When doctors plan treatment, they
consider how treatment might affect a person’s quality of life, such as how the person feels,
looks, talks, eats, and breathes.
There are 3 main treatment options for oral cancer: surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy. Descriptions of these common treatment options are listed below. Treatment
options and recommendations depend on several factors, including the type and stage of
cancer, possible side effects, and the patient’s preferences and overall health. One of these
therapies, or a combination of them, may be used.
1. Surgery is the removal of the tumour and some surrounding healthy tissue, known as a
margin, during an operation. A surgical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating
cancer using surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove all of the tumour and leave negative
margins, which means that there is no trace of cancer in the healthy tissue. Sometimes
surgery is followed by radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both. Depending on the location,
stage, and pathology of the cancer, some people may need more than 1 operation to
remove the cancer and to help restore the appearance and function of the affected tissues.
2. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.
A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation
oncologist. A radiation therapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of
treatments given over a set period of time. Radiation therapy may be the main treatment for
oral cavity cancer, or it can be used after surgery to destroy small areas of cancer that could
not be removed.
3. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually by stopping the cancer
cells’ ability to grow and divide. Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist. Systemic
chemotherapy gets into the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body.
Common ways to give chemotherapy include an intravenous (IV) tube placed into a vein
using a needle or in a pill or capsule that is swallowed (orally).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4065477/
"Genes and oral cancer." US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2017.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/aftertreatment/lifestyle-changes.html
"Lifestyle Changes After Having Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer." American
Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, Inc., n.d. Web. 2 May 2017.
http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/oral-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/treatment-options