Oral Cancer
Mouth (Oral) Cancer
Tongue cancer is a malignant tumor of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It can develop in any part of the tongue. However, it mostly develops from the sides of the tongue or the parts of the tongue close to the floor of the mouth.
Lip cancers most often develop from the hairless and pinkish parts of the lower lip. They are less likely to occur in the corner of the mouth, upper lip, or skin-covered areas of the lip. As the lips are very prominent on the face, lip cancers give signs earlier.
The hard palate is the bony front portion of the roof of the mouth and it is a part of the oral cavity. There are teeth on the front and sides of the hard palate. Oral cancer can develop from here and may spread into the nasal cavity when it becomes more advanced.
Throat (Oropharyngeal) Cancer
Tonsils are one of the organs of our immune system. They are located on both sides of the back of the mouth. Cancer can develop from any tissue of our body, as well as from our tonsils. However, tonsil cancer can also be seen in people who have had their tonsils removed.
The base of the tongue is the back one-third part of the tongue, where it connects to the throat. It is the part of the tongue that is not in an easily visible place in the mouth. Therefore, the base of tongue cancer is detected at later stages.
The soft palate is the muscular back and throat part of the roof of the mouth. There is also a dangly and fleshy thing in the back of the soft palate. Specifically, it is called the uvula. Most tumors of the soft palate and uvula are malignant.
Salivary Gland Cancer
The parotid is the largest salivary gland. On the face, it extends from the front of the ear lobule down to the jaw corner on both sides. Even salivary gland tumors most frequently develop from the parotid, most parotid tumors are not malignant. Therefore, we see the least incidence of salivary gland cancer here.
The submandibular gland is the second largest salivary gland but it secretes the most saliva. One pair of submandibular glands is located under the jawbone on both sides. Generally, half of the submandibular gland tumors are malignant.
The sublingual gland is the third-largest major salivary gland. It is located on both sides of the floor of the mouth. The tumors of the sublingual gland are much less common than other major salivary glands. However, the sublingual gland tumors are usually malignant.
Minor salivary glands are interspersed mainly on the surface (mucosa) of the oral cavity, throat, nasal cavity, and sinuses. These glands continuously produce and secrete saliva to keep the mucosa moist. Most tumors of minor salivary glands are malignant. Therefore, we see the highest incidence of salivary gland cancer here.