Cancer Surgery
By Dr. Linda Niessen -- Baylor College of Dentistry STORY: CANCER SURGERY SCRIPT #496 SHOOT: 1/31/03 AIRDATE: Monday, March 3, 2003
Monday, March 03, 2003
Signs of Oral Cancer
-
Sore that does not heal
-
Red or white patches
-
Problems chewing, swallowing, moving jaw or tongue; or
- Swelling or lump.
Surgeons are saving faces of patients diagnosed with oral cancer. They are using bone transplants to rebuild jaws ravaged by disease. Dr. Linda Niessen looks at one very unique case in today's Dental Heatlh Check.
Roland Turner never smoked or used any kind of tobacco. But at age 23, he was diagnosed with cancer in his mouth. His only symptom was swelling. "I felt really devastated. I thought how could this happen to me. I'm 23 years old. How can I get cancer at such an early age?"
Roland underwent surgery to remove the tumor and reconstruct his lower jaw. To do that, surgeons used bone from Roland's hip and ribs. Surgeons such as Dr. Bob Sckow of Baylor College of Dentistry prefer to transplant the patient's own bone so there is no chance of rejection.
"Ribs fit well. They're the right kind of tissue to replace the tissue that we take out of the area. And they avoid permanent reconstruction with a metallic prosthesis that may have to be replaced at a later date."
Catching the tumor early made a big difference for Roland's recovery. "Prognosis is excellent," said Dr. Schow.
Regular dental check-ups may have saved Roland's life. "They removed it all and there should be no future problems. My mobility is above what they expected, so I'm very happy."
Signs of Oral Cancer
-
Sore that does not heal
-
Red or white patches
-
Problems chewing, swallowing, moving jaw or tongue; or
- Swelling or lump.
Oral tumors are usually rare, especially in young people who don't use tobacco. So if you have any unusual swelling or other symptom, see your dentist immediately. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
