Introduction
The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer.
Signs and Symptoms
These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face, and/or neck. Warning signs include:
- Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth.
- A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily.
- A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth.
- Chronic sore throat or hoarseness and/or difficulty in chewing or swallowing.
Important Note on Pain: Pain does not always occur with pathology and is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk.
The Biopsy Process
If we identify a suspicious area, we may recommend a biopsy. This is a simple procedure, usually performed under local anesthesia, where a small sample of tissue is removed and sent to a laboratory for microscopic examination.
Rest assured: Most biopsies turn out to be benign (non-cancerous), but a definitive diagnosis allows us to treat the issue effectively.