Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity cause a person not only expressed uncomfortable sensations and severe pains, but also violate his social life. Cancer of the sky in advanced cases completely changes the articulation, which makes it impossible for the usual communication.
This disease is most often found in men after 40 years and in most patients is the result of metastasis of malignant tumors located in other parts of the head or neck.
Classification of sky cancer
In practical medicine, sky cancer is classified, it facilitates the diagnosis of the disease and allows you to assign a more accurate flow. By localization, cancerous tumors of the sky are divided into:
- Cancer located within the hard palate. Cancerous formation is detected on the border of the nasopharynx and oral cavity. The tumor affects the bone structure and spreads gradually to all layers of the mucosa.
- Cancer, localized within the soft palate. Oncological processes occur in the mucous layer and the muscles of the arch in the oral cavity.
The photo is the visible localization of the sky cancer, which is divided into a hard and soft part of the
. According to the tissue structure, it is customary to subdivide sky cancer into three types: the
- Cylinder( adenocystic carcinoma) begins to develop within the glandular tissue. This type of cancer of the sky is characterized by rapid, uncontrolled growth of pathologically altered cells. With a cylinder, metastasis spreads in a short time.
- Adenocarcinoma is formed from the epithelium and can be localized in all areas of the soft and hard palate.
- Squamous cell carcinoma affects the mucosa, and this type of pathology is most often found in malignant tumors of the oral cavity.
Causes and risk factors for
The formation of malignant tumors of the oral cavity, including the sky, is associated with local damaging factors, they include:
- Irritant effect of corrosive substances contained in cigarettes, smoking mixtures, alcohol.
- The constant use of too hot dishes, which burn the mucous layer and change the structure of normal cells.
- Chronic trauma to the sky with poorly installed dentures.
- Precancerous conditions of the oral cavity - leukoplakia, papillomatosis. Such formations are often subjected to malignancy, that is, degeneration into a cancerous tumor and the above listed causes also contribute to this process.
Cancer of the sky also often becomes a secondary disease, that is, it can be metastases that occur in malignant head and neck formations.
First symptoms of
The first weeks and even months of cancer can occur without subjective sensations for humans. In some cases, if you touch the area of the sky with a tongue, notice a small knob or a seal, most often it is surrounded by a small roller.
The photo shows upper sky cancer in the initial stage of
It is at this stage that you should consult a doctor , because in this case the treatment will be quick and most effective.
As the cancer cells grow further, the tumor becomes larger, captures all new areas and grows deep. At the same time, the subjective feelings appear in the person, the patients most often present complaints about:
- Pain in the oral cavity. They can give in the ear, the temporal region, the head.
- Discomfort during eating - the process of chewing and swallowing is difficult.
- An unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth of almost all the time and a fetid smell.
- Change of speech. Articulation is disrupted due to the fact that the mobility of the tongue changes, and the compaction interferes with the normal air movement.
- Strong fatigue , poor appetite and noticeable weight loss.
When examining the oral cavity on a soft or hard sky, you can notice seals, plaques, sores of different sizes and shapes. In advanced cases, ulcers bleed, and the septum between the throat and nose can be destroyed. This pathology leads to the fact that pieces of food during eating fall into the nose, and speech becomes completely indistinct.
All symptoms of sky cancer increase with the growth of the tumor. At the last stage, all the tissues adjacent to the sky are destroyed by a cancerous tumor.
Diagnosis
The emerging tumor of the palate is difficult to determine on its own in the early stages.
For the confirmation of the disease, a number of diagnostic procedures are prescribed:
- Radiography finds pathological changes in a number of located with oral cavity bone structures.
- Biopsy - taking a piece of tissue for histological analysis is necessary to identify the altered tumor cells and its stage.
- Blood tests are prescribed to detect inflammation, signs of anemia.
- Radioisotope examination allows you to examine the structure of the tumor from the inside.
- Ultrasound is used to diagnose cancer metastases in distant organs.
If necessary, the patient is assigned a number of modern techniques for diagnosis of malignant neoplasms.
Treatment of
The sooner the treatment of sky cancer begins, the more likely the patient has a favorable outcome and the absence of serious health complications.
The choice of method for controlling the tumor depends on its stage and the prevalence of the pathological process on the nearest tissues.
Radiotherapy
Irradiation of cancers with X-rays is the main treatment for this disease. Radiation therapy stops the development of cancer cells, and if it is started at an early stage, it is possible to completely destroy the malignant neoplasm. Irradiation is used before and after surgery.
Operation
The operation consists of removing the tumor and a number of soft tissues and bone structures located with it. Usually, after such a surgical procedure, a defect remains on the face, to eliminate which a plastic surgery is performed. In advanced cases it is necessary to combine surgery and radiotherapy sessions.
Chemotherapy
The chemotherapy method consists in influencing the mutated cells of cytostatic drugs. They can be administered as a dropper or administered for oral use, usually chemotherapy for sky cancer is effective only in combination with irradiation and surgical intervention.
It is necessary to carry out not only the treatment of the sky cancer itself, but also the detected metastases. The effectiveness of all therapies largely depends on the stage of the malignant process in the oral cavity.
Prognosis and prophylaxis
Timely diagnosis and choice of a well-designed therapy regimen make it possible to achieve almost 80% of complete cure. If the disease is detected already at the stage of metastasis, then almost 70% develop metastases in the first 5 years after the operation.
Periodical examinations at the dentist minimize the transition of the initial stages of cancer to neglected.