“Lip cancer is a disease that can almost always be cured if it is diagnosed at an early stage and the neck area is treated with the same care.”
Prof. Dr. Çetin Vural
The lip is considered a structure belonging to the oral cavity and its beginning. Lips are examined in two separate sections according to the covering layer:
- The mucosal part, which is considered as a continuation of the covering layer covering the mouth and is thinner than the skin, pinkish and completely devoid of hair.
- The part covered by the facial skin surrounding it.
The roles of the lips in nutrition and speech are very important. Without lips, it would be very difficult to take in water and other liquid foods. In addition, it will not be possible to pronounce many letters and syllables without lips.
What is a lip tumor?
The term tumor is used for masses formed by uncontrolled cell growth. Tumors can be benign (benign) or malignant (malignant). Benign tumors grow slowly and by pushing the surrounding tissues and do not metastasize (spread) to lymph nodes or distant organs.
Malignant tumors arising from the covering layers are called cancer (carcinoma) in medicine. Benign tumors and cancer types can occur on the lips, as in every organ in the body.
What is lip cancer?
Lip cancer is the uncontrolled growth of epithelial cells covering the lip structures, invasion and destruction of surrounding structures. It is a disease that progresses with This type of lip cancer originating from the covering layer is called Squamous Cell Cancer and constitutes the majority of malignant tumors that occur on the lip.
This type of cancer develops especially on the mucosal surface of the lower lip. Cancer can also develop on the upper lip and the parts of the lips covered by facial skin, although less frequently. Rarely, salivary gland tumors originating from microscopic salivary glands located in the inner part of the lip are encountered.
In which parts of the lip is lip cancer seen?
Lip cancer is typically located in the mucosal part of the lower lip. 80% of lip cancers occur in the lower lip. This tumor is likely to occur on the upper lip or on parts of the lip covered with skin. It is less warm.
What are the types of lip cancer?
The majority of lip cancers are of the squamous cell cancer (epidermoid cancer) type, arising from the covering layer that covers the surface of the lip and is called epithelium. This type of cancer is the most common cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx and pharynx.
In addition, tumors arising from the microscopic salivary glands covering the inner surface of the lips (adenoid cystic cancer and mucoepidermoid cancer) or melanoma arising from the cells that give the skin its color. (melanoma) tumors can also be seen.
In addition to these tumors, tumors can also develop from tissues such as muscles, vessels and connective tissue that participate in the structure of the lip, although very rarely.
What are the causes of lip cancer?
Sunlight is an important factor in the formation of cancers, especially in the lower lip, which is more exposed to the rays coming from above. People who spend hours under the sun due to their profession have a higher risk of developing tumors on the lower lip exposed to direct sunlight (Ultraviolet - UV) compared to other people. In a scientific study, it was determined that lip cancer was 3 times more common in farmers working under the sun compared to those working in closed environments, regardless of cigarette consumption.
I would also like to emphasize that exposure to ultraviolet rays in solariums for tanning increases the risk of lip cancer.
It is thought that HPV (Human Papilloma Virus - Human Wart Virus), which is accused of being an important cause especially in throat and pharynx cancers, has no role in lip cancer.
In whom is lip cancer more common?
Lip cancer is typically a disease of middle- and older-aged men who spend hours in the sun and pursue professions such as farming. These people often smoke cigarettes. However, this disease can also be encountered in men and women who do not smoke and spend most of their time indoors. 75% of lip cancer patients are men.
In addition, lip cancer is more common in people whose immune system is not working or who use drugs that suppress the immune system to prevent organ rejection after organ transplantation.
Lip cancer is stated. What are the symptoms?
The main symptom of lip cancer is a non-healing wound, crusting and swelling on the lip. Here we are talking about a wound or swelling that has been present for more than 2-3 weeks. In some patients, swelling may occur under the chin due to metastasis to the lymph nodes in the neck.
Is there a relationship between lip cancers and herpes?
Herpes virus caused by herpes virus is a different disease from lip cancer. Unlike cancer, it usually heals and disappears within two weeks. There is no evidence that herpes has an effect on the formation of lip cancer.
When is a doctor's examination necessary?
Wounds, blisters, pits or sores on the lips for more than three weeks In case of crusting formations, it is useful to consult an ear, nose and throat physician.
How is the examination performed and what tests are performed after the examination?
First of all, the wound on the lip is exposed to strong light. We examine the lesion that appears as swelling or crusting. Then, we check the hardness and extent of the lesion. After this stage, the condition of the lymph nodes in the neck is examined by manual examination.
If there is a suspicion of tumor after the examination, most often one of the radiological methods such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or MRI is used. More than one neck region is investigated.
Then, what is done is to take a biopsy of the lesion or sometimes remove it completely and send it to a pathologist for pathology examination. If the biopsy result is reported as cancer, PET-CT examination sometimes investigates whether the tumor has spread to distant areas.
“A definitive diagnosis of cancer can only occur as a result of examinations performed by a pathologist.”
There is a suspicion of cancer before this.
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