Jaw Cancer Symptoms

Hearing the word 'cancer', can send shivers down the spine of a patient. This is because the pain associated with any type of cancer is simply unbearable. Of the many types of cancer, oral cancer is on the rise, mainly due to unhygienic habits such as tobacco chewing.

The jaw is a structure and an extension of the skull, that comprises the mouth. The upper and lower jaw structures help to hold the teeth. Jaw cancer related to the mouth, involves formation of painful lump on the tissues of the jaw. The cancerous growth, restricts movement of the jaw and sometimes opening the mouth can be a source of great discomfort. Jaw cancer can spread rapidly and affect the other parts of the body.

Symptoms

Jaw cancer symptoms can certainly put a person in an uncomfortable position, as it interferes with normal eating habits. People suffering from jaw cancer cannot chew the food properly, as it causes pain. Acute pain in the jaw, while drinking or eating is one of the most common signs of jaw cancer. Other symptoms are given below:

Swollen Jaw
The development of malignant tumor in the jaw, not only causes extreme pain, but leads to swelling of the jaw. The tissues of the jaw appear swollen and can certainly bring great amount of pain.

Numbness or Tingling Sensation in the Jaw
The patient affected with jaw cancer experiences tingling sensation similar to pricking of pins, along the jaw line, when the jaw is not moving. This unusual sensation is generally felt during sleep.

Abnormal Growth of the JawBone
A thorough oral examination can reveal a painful lump around the tissues of the jaw. Over time, the patient also starts feeling that something wrong has happened with the jawbone. The uneven borders of the jaw cancer can be clearly detected using X rays.

Treatment

As we all know, the age-old therapy for the treatment of cancer involves use of chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy. However, the most preferred treatment method is surgery. These aforementioned treatment options are explained in detail below:

Surgery
Removing the cancerous growth, through surgical procedures can certainly eliminate the tumor once and for all. However, this form of treatment is applicable, only when the tumor is localized and the cancerous cells have not spread beyond a certain limit. The doctor will remove the affected tissues and the lymph nodes near the jawbone, to halt the progress of cancer. Surgical procedure is used when the cancer is in its early stages of development.

Radiation Therapy
Bombarding the affected area of the body with high energy rays to destroy the cancerous cells is nothing but radiation therapy. The radiation penetrating through the skin, helps to manage the spread of malignant tumors.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously to kill cancer cells that have invaded tissues of other organs of the body. This treatment method is helpful to relieve the pain associated with cancer.

As the cancer is progressive, the symptoms worsen with the passage of time. Even, a slight jawbone movement causes excruciating pain that travels down the body. So treating this oral cancer as early as possible, will stop the cancer from spreading and ensure complete recovery.