title: Oral cancer treatment.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Tumor Program, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. dayt@musc.edu
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Betsy K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: M Boyd
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kibbey
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martin-Harris
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neville
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
authors.forename: Anand K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Stuart
mesh_terms: 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