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ORAL CAVITY (MOUTH) CANCER |
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Mouth Cancer Los Angeles Oral Cavity Cancer Treatment Specialist |
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The oral cavity includes all the areas of the mouth in front what would be considered the throat (oropharynx), and is divided into multiple components based on the anatomical area. They include the tongue, floor of mouth, alveolar ridge, buccal mucosa, and palate. These divisions have important ramifications based on the important structures that are within and adjacent to each area. (Fig. 1a Oral Cavity Parts)
: There are two regions that comprise the tongue: the oral part, found in the mouth (the front 2/3), and the base of the tongue, found in the throat (the back 1/3). The tongue is made up mostly out of muscle covered by mucosa that has taste buds within it. The majority of oral cavity cancers occur on the tongue, and they mostly arise from the mucosal covering and not the muscle. |
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This is the area at the bottom of the oral cavity, under the tongue, behind the gum line & teeth. There are numerous saliva glands and their ducts that bring the saliva into the mouth in the floor of the mouth. 30% of all oral cancers occur in this region. |
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This is includes the gums in front and behind the teeth. The mucosa or gums covering this area lay immediately on the bone of the upper and lower jaw; as such cancers in this area immediately grow into the bone. This is considered one of the more rare types of oral cancer. |
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| This refers to the area of the mouth on the inside surface of the cheek. There isn’t a lot of substance to this tissue and tumors can readily grow into the overlying skin. The duct of one of the saliva gland, the Parotid, is in this area. |
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| There are two parts of the palate: the hard palate (the bony part on the roof of the mouth), and the soft palate (further back, at the top of the throat). The soft palate is considered to be in the region of the oropharynx, while the hard palate is considered to be part of the oral cavity. The tumors of the hard palate can easily grow into the nose. |
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Fig 1b Oral Cavity Parts |
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| The TNM Staging is a universally used system based on size of the original tumor and involvement of the tissue next to it (T), the size and extent of lymph node involvement (N), and distant spread to other parts of the body or metastasis (M). The same staging system is used for all oral cavity cancers. |
| T Stage |
Primary Tumor |
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| Tx |
Primary Tumor Cannot be Assessed |
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| Tis |
Carcinoma in situ |
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| T1 |
Tumor 2cm or less |
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| T2 |
2 to 4 cm |
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| T3 |
Greater than 4cm |
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| T4a |
Tumor Invades Adjacent Structures |
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| T4b |
Invades Masticator Space,Pterygoid Plates Skull Base or Encases Carotid Artery |
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| N Stage |
Regional Lymph Nodes |
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| N0 |
No Lymph Nodes |
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| N1 |
Single Node Less than 3cm on the same side |
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| N2a |
Single Node 3 to 6 cm on the same side |
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| N2b |
Multiple Nodes Less than 6cm on the same side |
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| N2c |
Nodes on Both or Other Side Less than 6cm |
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| N3 |
Node Larger than 6cm |
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| M Stage |
Distant Metastasis |
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| M0 |
No Distant Metastasis |
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| M1 |
Distant Metastasis Present |
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Stage Group |
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T |
N |
M |
| 0 |
Tis |
N0 |
M0 |
| I |
T1 |
N0 |
M0 |
| II |
T2 |
N0 |
M0 |
| III |
T3
T1,T2,T3 |
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| IVa |
T4a
T4a
T1,T2,T3 or T4a |
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| IVb |
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| IVc |
Any T |
Any N |
M1 |
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| © 2009 Center For Advanced Head & Neck Surgery. All Rights Reserved. |
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| Mouth Cancer Los Angeles Oral Cavity Cancer Treatment Specialist in cancer of the mouth, tongue, hard palate, soft palate, floor of mouth, and oral cavity |
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