Danger of gum cancer

Dr. Ngo Minh Phuoc, Head of the Examination Department, Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: “Gum cancer occurs when cells in the gum area proliferate abnormally. If not treated early, these cells can invade and metastasize to other organs, causing dangerous complications.”

Doctor of the Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cai Nuoc General Hospital examines the teeth of a child patient. (illustrative photo)

According to the warning of oncologists, if you see ulcers on your gums that are slow to heal, you should be alert and see a specialist as soon as possible. At that time, the patient's gums will have ulcers, which may or may not be painful. The ulcers change the color of the surrounding mucosa and the inflammation and ulceration can last for more than 2 weeks.

In addition, there may also be a tumor in the gums. If you see a tumor in the gums, the color is darker than the surrounding gums, causing pain and bleeding easily, the patient should pay attention, because this could be a symptom of gum cancer.

Not only that, gum cancer also has symptoms such as: loose teeth; tongue ulcers; patients may also experience changes in taste, heavy bleeding in the oral cavity, swollen lymph nodes, and unexplained weight loss.

Dr. To Minh Nghi, Deputy Director of Ca Mau General Hospital, said: Currently, science has not yet determined the exact cause of gum cancer. However, some factors that have a direct impact on the gums are very likely to be the cause of gum cancer such as: People who wear dentures incorrectly, grind their teeth; do not take care of their teeth properly; people who regularly smoke or are exposed to cigarette smoke; drink a lot of alcohol. At the same time, for those who are often exposed to sunlight without drinking enough water, they also need to be vigilant about this dangerous disease.

Science has shown that if gum cancer is detected early, the 3-year survival rate can reach 80%. However, in cases where it is detected late, the chance of surviving 3 years is only 50%. Therefore, early detection is very important for patients.

However, how long a patient with gum cancer can live depends entirely on many different factors such as the stage of the disease at which the patient is diagnosed, the patient's health, and the treatment methods applied.

Currently, the basic treatments are still surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cases of gum cancer.

Using dental floss and brushing with a soft toothbrush to clean the mouth also helps prevent gum infection. However, if you have just had surgery, you should not rinse your mouth with salt water, but only rinse your mouth gently with normal water at the appropriate temperature.

Thus, gum cancer can be treated with many methods. However, the effectiveness of prolonging life depends on many factors. But the most important thing is that the earlier it is detected, the higher the cure rate. Therefore, if there are suspicious symptoms, the patient needs to quickly go for a check-up and get treatment as soon as possible./.

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