Oral cancer is a common problem in Canada. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that in 2015 alone, 4,400 Canadians will find out they have some type of oral cancer and 1,200 will die from this cancer. There are many different types of cancer that can develop inside your mouth, like verrucous carcinoma. Here are seven things you need to know about this slow-growing type of cancer.
What is verrucous carcinoma?
Verrucous carcinoma is a type of oral cancer that affects your squamous cells. Squamous cells are flat cells that look like scales under a microscope. These cells make up the insides of your cheeks as well as other tissues like your gums and the roof of your mouth.
While verrucous carcinoma affects your squamous cells, it's not the same thing as squamous cell carcinoma, a more well-known type of oral cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma grows quickly and can spread to other parts of your body, but verrucous carcinoma tends to grow slowly and not spread very far.
What does verrucous carcinoma look like?
This type of cancer usually develops on the insides of the cheeks or on the lips. It is either grey-white or red and looks like a wart. The cancer grows slowly, so you may not realize that anything is wrong until the cancer has reached a large size.
What causes it?
This particular type of oral cancer is often caused by tobacco use, particularly the use of snuff and chewing tobacco. It's been nicknamed "snuff dipper's cancer" because of this association. Tobacco use isn't the only thing that can cause verrucous carcinoma, though. Studies have also shown that human papillomavirus (HPV), the same virus that causes cervical cancer, could be linked to this type of oral cancer.
How dangerous is it?
Since verrucous carcinoma grows slowly, it's not as dangerous as some other types of cancers that grow quickly and can spread to far-reaching parts of the body. This type of cancer is known for being locally aggressive, but it has minimal metastatic potential. This means that it will spread through the tissue that it affects (like your lip or gums) but it probably won't spread to your lymph nodes and travel to your other organ systems. This doesn't mean that it's not a concern; it just means that a verrucous carcinoma diagnosis isn't a death sentence.
Can it be treated?
Surgery is typically used to treat oral cancer. If the cancer is localized, which means that is hasn't spread too far, your dentist may be able to remove all of the cancer cells during the surgery. You may not need any further treatments if this is the case.
If your verrucous carcinoma has spread further, your dentist may not be able to surgically remove all of it without damaging your tissues. If this is the case, your dentist will remove some of the cancer cells, and then the remaining cells will be treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
How can you prevent it?
If you use snuff or chewing tobacco, try to quit, since tobacco use is the main cause of this type of oral cancer. Also, you need to see your dentist regularly for oral cancer screenings. Dentists are trained to look for signs of oral cancer, so while you may not notice that anything is wrong, your dentist will see it and treatment can start early.
Is verrucous carcinoma common?
While oral cancer in general is a common problem, verrucous carcinoma is fairly rare. Only about 5% of cancers in the mouth are classified as verrucous carcinoma.
If you notice new patches of tissue inside your mouth, see your dentist right away. You may have verrucous carcinoma or another type of oral cancer. For more information, contact a local dental clinic like Durham Dental.
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