Oral Cancer

Oral Cancer

Approximately 1 in 800 British Columbians have a precancerous area in their mouth and about 5,000 Canadians are diagnosed with oral (or mouth) cancer each year. BC Cancer notes that oral cancer is a disease of soft tissue not teeth, so it can also affect anyone even older adults who do not have their natural teeth.

Oral cancer often has a high mortality rate because it’s usually not detected until it is at a late stage, as well as a high recurrence rate. Five-year survival rates for oral cancer is greater than 80% when it is detected early, but drop to approximately 30% when diagnosed at a late stage.

Surgical treatment of large oral cancers can result in significant disfigurement of oral tissues. “This can take a psychological toll on patients’ quality of life, affecting everyday activities like eating and speaking,” says Dr. Suzanne Carlisle, BC Cancer Regional Practice Leader, Department of Oral Oncology/Dentistry – Surrey.

What You Need to Know About Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a disease of the soft tissue of the mouth, not the teeth, and can impact anyone at any age — even older adults who do not have their natural teeth.

The most common sign of oral cancer is an ulcer (a sore) or swelling in your mouth that does not heal. Other signs include a persistent lump, thickening or rough spots in your mouth that do not go away or continue to grow; pain and white or red patches in your mouth or on your lips; difficulty swallowing or chewing; and changes in your voice or how your teeth fit together. Symptoms may also include tenderness or numbness in the mouth, jaw or ear.

Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol use, betel nut chewing, exposure to secondhand smoke, a poor diet, excessive sun exposure to the lips, and exposure to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Other factors include aging and having a history of cancer.

Early detection is important in improving outcomes for oral cancer. Please contact your dentist, dental hygienist or a healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

How is BC Cancer Advancing Oral Cancer Research and Care? 

Thanks to donor generosity, BC Cancer’s team of experts is advancing screening and care, helping detect oral cancer earlier and improve outcomes for British Columbians.

BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program (BC OCPP) 

Led by Dr. Denise Laronde, the BC OCPP is a research team focusing on province-wide screening, early detection and treatment of oral cancer and precancer. They are committed to reducing the incidence of oral cancer through the development of new techniques for early detection and disease management, in addition to discovering more about the natural history of the disease. The team applies research to practical care, training dentists and dental hygienists on oral screening and assessment to recognize and diagnose suspicious oral lesions. One of the team’s most significant discoveries was the identification of molecular markers associated with the progression of oral premalignant lesions to cancer.

Prevention and Community Clinics

Under Dr. Laronde’s guidance, the BC OCPP has established two community clinics in Vancouver and Surrey to increase education and research for patients and health professionals. These clinics were created to provide a plan for risk assessment and management of patients with oral precancer. Dental practitioners in the community can refer their at-risk patients for follow-up by clinicians with expertise and experience in this disease. In addition, the clinics provide a new setting to test and evaluate new technology as it is developed. The clinics are overseen by Drs. Gardner, Laronde, and Bertrand Chan, BC Cancer clinician and Oral Medicine Specialist Dr Bertrand Chan.

The team focuses on managing oral lesions and improving cancer screening and early detection with specialized tools. In collaboration with BC Cancer researchers Drs. Cathie Garnis and Martial Guillaud, as well as oral pathologists Drs. Lewei Zhang and Kevin Ko, the team is developing biomarkers to help healthcare professionals identify oral lesions that are at high risk of progressing to oral cancer.

The Abbotsford Oral Oncology and Dentistry Clinic

Donor support helped improve access to cancer care at BC Cancer – Abbotsford with a state-of-the-art oral oncology and dental clinic. This expansion provides patients in the Fraser Valley with more timely care closer to home, reducing the cost and stress of travelling to access dental services. The world-class clinic, which is expected to serve over 3,000 patient visits annually, offers more complex procedures and features two exam rooms, a prosthodontics lab and the latest imaging equipment.

Cone Beam CT (CBCT)

The Abbotsford Oral Oncology and Dentistry Clinic includes an on-site CBCT, which is an essential tool for early detection of bone lesions and treatment planning, as well as diagnosing and managing cancer-specific complications. The CBCT offers the most accurate tracking of changes to a person’s oral cavity and helps experts provide the highest standard of oral and dental services to patients while ensuring their ease and comfort. It also reduces the number of offsite referrals and decreases waitlists for external clinics, so patients can receive more timely access to care.