Top 3 causes of oropharyngeal cancer you must know about

Oropharyngeal  cancer is the formation ofmalignant cells in at the base of the tongue, back of the throat, top of the mouth (or the soft palate) and walls of the throat. Quickly becoming one of the most common types of cancer in the country, we spoke to Dr Mudit Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Head of Department, Head & Neck- Surgical Oncology, Max Cancer Centre, Max Super Speciality Hospital,Delhi and asked him about the most common causes of the condition. Here are excerpts from the interview.

What are the most common causes of oral cancer? Cause #1: Smoking and tobacco use: One of the most common causes of oral cancer, tobacco usage multiplies your risk of suffering from the condition greatly. Dr Mudit says that this risk is multiplied when alcohol is also consumed along with it. But smoking as many more ill effects, here are 25 things that happen inside your body when you smoke. 

How does it lead to cancer? 

When tobacco is consumed it is usually had with other carcinogenic substances. For instance cigarette smoking has nearly 4000 cancer producing agents apart from nicotine which damage the cells and result in formation of cancer cells which have unregulated growth as compared to normal cells. Apart from that according to the American Cancer Society, cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco when used damage the cells in your mouth and throat, which also affects their DNA structure. In turn, your body releases more cells there to help repair the damage which then leads to the mutation of these cells causing them to multiply in an uncontrolled fashion, leading to cancer.

Cause #2: Sharp teeth: While this may seem shocking, but it is a fact that sharp teeth that rub against the soft inner lining of the mouth can lead to oral cancer. You may also like to read about how poor oral hygiene can lead to oral cancer. 

How does it lead to cancer? 

Chronic irritation or injury by the tooth promotes the growth of cells in that area as these teeth constantly rub and irritate the inner lining of the mouth leading to an injury. In order to fix this damage the body automatically sends cells to the area to fix the damage leading to the uncontrolled multiplication of cells in that are. Which eventually can lead to cancer formation.

Cause #3: Unprotected oral sex: Oral sex with an unknown partner can lead to the transmission of the Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) which in turn can cause oral cancer.

How does it lead to cancer? 

Now commonly found to be prevalent in the younger population of our country, an infection by the HPV virus is a known cause of oral cancer. If you have oral sex with a person infected by the virus on performing unprotected oral sex this virus enters your mouth and then integrates with the DNA of  the cells in your throat. They then alter the regulatory mechanism of those cells and lead to  uncontrolled multiplication.

What are the most common symptoms of this type of cancer?

People at highest risk of suffering from this cancer are smokers or guthkha chewers with submucous fibrosis (inability to open mouth). Ideally these people should undergo a bi-yearly (every six months) check up of their oral cavity.

Largely the symptoms of the condition are: 

• Pain when chewing or swallowing.
• Recurrent ear pain.
• Swelling or soreness.
• Sinuses that are blocked and do not clear or recurring chronic sinus infections.
• Difficulty swallowing, breathing and/or talking.
• Sores in the mouth that do not heal.

All these symptoms may not conclusively prove the presence of cancer but if you have been under treatment for any one of the above reasons, and the symptoms have not subsided in three to four weeks, then you must get a through examination and diagnosis from a head and neck cancer specialist.