Mouth cancer (oral cancer)

Mouth cancer or oral cancer is cancer anywhere in the mouth. You can develop cancer anywhere in your mouth, including the tongue, gums, lips or inside your cheeks. 

Having regular dental check-ups will help to spot any symptoms of mouth cancer. 

About mouth cancer

Mouth cancer develops after a change in the DNA of the cells in the mouth. (DNA is the genetic material that tells cells what to do.) As these faulty cells divide and multiply, they eventually cause a cancer. 

Anyone can develop mouth cancer but you may be more at risk if:

• You are older – most cases are diagnosed in people aged 60 and over 
• You smoke or chew tobacco, betel nut or paan
• You drink a lot of alcohol
• Your lips have been exposed to a lot of sun or sunbeds
• You have had cancer before
• You have leukoplakia, a condition that causes white patches in your mouth that do not go away
• You have a weakened immune system

Some mouth cancers are linked to gene changes or having a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) in your mouth.

Symptoms

Symptoms of mouth cancer can include:

• Ulcer (sore patch) in your mouth that lasts more than 3 weeks
• Red or white patch inside your mouth
• Lump inside your mouth or on your lip
• Pain inside your mouth
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voice
• Lump in your neck or throat
• Losing weight without trying

It is important to see a health professional if you have symptoms or notice changes that are unusual for you and do not go away. 

Having regular dental check-ups will also help to spot any symptoms of mouth cancer. 

Treatment at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

Treatment depends on a range of factors including the size, stage and location of your tumour. It may also depend on your age, general health and genetic factors (linked to the DNA changes in your cells) that tell us how your cancer developed. 

Treatment options can include one or more of the following:

• Surgery – this may be before, during or after other treatments
• Drug therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The general term for these is systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT)
• Radiotherapy 

When you are diagnosed, your care will be discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) where different specialists will consider the best treatment options for you. Your doctor will discuss this with you so you can decide what is right for you.

Genomics and cancer

Genomics is the study of a person’s genes (or ‘genome’) – the material in DNA that makes each person unique. Cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of a cell and tell it to multiply out of control. 

Understanding where this change has occurred – for example, which gene is faulty – can help us know which treatment will give you the best chance of killing the cancer cells and stopping new ones from growing. 

Your clinical team will explain this to you in more detail at your appointment. 

Our treatments

At The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, we provide specialist non-surgical treatment for mouth cancer (oral cancer). We also work closely with surgical teams in other hospitals to plan and coordinate your care every step of the way. 

Most people will need surgery to remove mouth cancer. This will be done in another hospital before, during or after your treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. 

Systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT)

SACT is a term used to describe the different drug therapies for cancer. These include: 

• Chemotherapy – which aims to kill cancer cells
• Immunotherapy – which aims to train your immune system to attack cancer 
• Targeted therapies – which aim to target the DNA and cell changes that cause cancer. 
• Total neoadjuvant therapy – where you receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgery

Radiotherapy    

We use different types of radiotherapy, depending on the size, location and stage of the cancer. Sometimes people have radiotherapy instead of surgery. Sometimes they have it after surgery or to help ease symptoms.

The radiotherapy treatments we offer for mouth cancer is:

• Traditional external beam radiotherapy – where radiation is delivered from outside the body

Our advanced radiotherapy facilities mean we can target treatment very precisely so your cancer gets the best possible dose of radiation. 

Our facilities include linear accelerators, superficial and orthovoltage x-ray treatment machines, simulators, scanners and 3D and 4D planning systems. 

Find out more about having radiotherapy for head and neck cancers.

Other treatment and support

Sometimes people have difficulty speaking, swallowing or eating as a result of mouth cancer or treatment for mouth cancer.

We will offer lots of support if this happens to you. Our dietitians and our speech and language therapists specialise in helping people with cancer.

Speech and language therapy 

Our speech and language therapists can help you find the best ways to communicate with other people. This may include changing how you use speech, your voice or other ways of communicating.

Our speech and language therapists can also assess your swallowing and offer practical help specific to your needs. 

Dietitians

Our dietitians are experts in nutrition and use their specialist knowledge to provide advice about food, eating and drinking. They help people affected by cancer to stay nourished and hydrated throughout your care, supporting your wellbeing and quality of life.  

Our team

The team consists of clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, a consultant radiographer, clinical nurse specialists, radiographers, pharmacy, research practitioners, administrative support and a cancer support worker. Dietitians and speech and language therapists are also an important part of the team. 

Our operational management team makes sure the service runs smoothly.

Further information

• Information about radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
• Information about chemotherapy and other cancer drugs at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
• Information about immunotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre