World Cancer Day: Man dealing with ulcers, oral cancer shows remarkable recovery after surgery

A 57-year-old man from Warangal, Telangana, was treated for oral cancer at a Hyderabad hospital earlier this year. Oral cancer, more specifically squamous cell carcinoma, is a serious, potentially-deadly condition with symptoms like ulcers, difficulty in opening the mouth and challenges in eating food.

Doctors say that when it comes to this condition, the following factors take the blame:

Chewing betel nut

Chewing tobacco leaves

Alcohol intake

Smoking

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

As per the Cleveland Clinic, buccal mucosa is a wet mucous membrane which is soft and extends from inside the cheeks and lips just behind the last teeth. The same is made up of several layers of tissues and its job is to support the mouth while eating and chewing. The same tissue is a barrier against chemicals and infections.

For this condition, the patient was treated using a comprehensive plan and the patient, too, made a remarkable recovery.

The patient had also presented an ulcer over the left buccal mucosa and complained of pain while trying to eat. This prompted a need for thorough medical examination. After a biopsy and PET SCAN, doctors diagnosed the patient with squamous cell carcinoma which is the most common type of buccal mucosa cancer. Other common types of the disease are lymphoma, mucosal melanoma and verrucous carcinoma.

Oral cancer treatment

The patient was psychologically and physically prepared for surgery. The procedure then required him to undergo a composite resection, removal of a part of the mouth lining and the lower jaw along with a pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap. After the surgery, the patient was monitored at the ICU and after blood pressure stabilised, he was given RT feed for quick recovery.