Oral cancer treatment.
Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, and it continues to represent a serious public health problem. Oral cancer is a preventable disease, related to behavioral and lifestyle factors, including tobacco and alcohol. Prevention and early detection of oral cancer remain the goals of national efforts to reduce the impact of this disease on the public. Surgical treatment is the mainstay of therapy for patients with oral cancer, particularly in advanced stages of cancer. External beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy have been used successfully as the primary modality for treating patients with early stage oral cancer, and they are the standard of care for use as adjuvant therapy in postoperative cases of patients with advanced stage oral cancer. There is an emerging trend for the use of chemotherapy in combination with radiation therapy and surgery for patients with advanced, recurrent, and metastatic head and neck cancer, although evidence is limited regarding survival benefit when used for treating patients with oral cavity carcinoma. Any report on the treatment of oral cancer is incomplete without consideration of functional and aesthetic outcomes, particularly addressing speech, swallowing, masticatory efficiency, and dental rehabilitation. Future generations will continue to fight these dreadful diseases until scientists and clinicians are provided the opportunities to expand efforts to prevent, detect (early), and eradicate oral and other head and neck cancers.
Day
Terry A
TA
Head and Neck Tumor Program, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. dayt@musc.edu
Davis
Betsy K
BK
Gillespie
M Boyd
MB
Joe
John K
JK
Kibbey
Megan
M
Martin-Harris
Bonnie
B
Neville
Brad
B
Reed
Susan G
SG
Richardson
Mary S
MS
Rosenzweig
Steven
S
Sharma
Anand K
AK
Smith
Michelle M
MM
Stewart
Stacy
S
Stuart
Robert K
RK
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008866:Microsurgery; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures