Mouth Cancer
Mouth cancer can develop in most parts of the mouth, including the lips, gums and occasionally the throat.
Mouth cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, but it’s much less common in the UK.
Around 6,800 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about 2% of all cancers diagnosed.
Most cases of mouth cancer occur in older adults aged 50 to 74. Only one in eight (12.5%) cases affect people younger than 50.
Mouth cancer can occur in younger adults. HPV infection is thought to be associated with the majority of cases that occur in younger people.
Cancer of the mouth is also more common in men than in women. This may be because, on average, men tend to drink more alcohol than women.
Mouth cancer can develop in most parts of the mouth, including the lips, gums and occasionally the throat.
The most common symptoms of mouth cancer are:
- sore mouth ulcers that don’t heal within several weeks
- unexplained, persistent lumps in the mouth that don’t go away
- unexplained, persistent lumps in the lymph glands in the neck that don’t go away
Other symptoms may include:
- pain or difficulty when swallowing (dysphagia)
- changes in your voice or speech problems
- unexplained weight loss
- bleeding or numbness in the mouth
- a tooth, or teeth, that becomes loose for no obvious reason, or a tooth socket that doesn’t heal
- difficulty moving your jaw
- red or white patches on the lining of your mouth – these are common and are very rarely cancerous, but they can sometimes turn into cancer, so it’s worth seeing a specialist if you have them
When to seek medical advice
Many of the symptoms listed above can be caused by less serious conditions, such as minor infections.
However, it’s strongly recommended that you visit your GP or dentist if any of the above symptoms have lasted longer than three weeks. It’s particularly important to seek medical advice if you drink or smoke regularly.
A Neck Lump
Most neck lumps are enlarged lymph nodes. Sometimes, the lump is a congenital cyst, an enlarged salivary gland, or an enlarged thyroid gland.
The most common causes of enlarged lymph nodes include the following:
- Reaction to nearby infection (such as a cold or a throat infection)
- Direct bacterial infection of a lymph node
- Certain bodywide (systemic) infections
One or more neck lymph nodes often enlarge in response to an upper respiratory infection, throat infection, or dental infection. These nodes are soft, not tender, and typically return to normal shortly after the infection goes away.
Sometimes, bacteria can directly infect a lymph node this is called lymphadenitis. Such infected nodes are quite tender to the touch.
Certain systemic infections typically cause multiple lymph nodes to enlarge, including some in the neck.
A much less common but more serious cause of enlarged lymph nodes is Cancer.
If you are concerned that you have had a lump in the neck for more than 3 weeks you should see your GP, who will arrange for you immediate referral to a specialist.