Lip cancer is a common type of oral cancer. It can develop on either the upper or lower lip but more commonly appears on the lower lip. The majority of lip cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, meaning they develop in the cells located in the outer layers of the skin. Because it is easily noticed, it often gets discovered early and treated immediately, having a very high survival rate.
Lip Cancer Symptoms
At first, you or your loved one might just notice what looks like a mouth sore on his lips that seems to be hanging around a lot longer than normal. If your loved one has had cold sores in the past, he might not think much about it. But this cancerous lesion will linger and will not go away within a couple of weeks like an average cold sore.
Other symptoms your loved one might notice include:
- His lips or mouth may feel tingly or numb. They might physically hurt or ache as well.
- Not all lip cancers look like cold sores. Some may appear as a flat or slightly darker-colored spot on his lip. On light-skinned individuals, it is often white or red; on darker-skinned people, it is dark brown or gray.
- His lips may thicken.
- Bleeding lips.
- A swollen jaw.
- Loose teeth or dentures that no longer fit properly.
Lip Cancer Risk Factors
While anyone can develop lip cancer, certain aspects of a person’s life may increase his risk of developing lip cancer.
- Being out in the sun a lot, either now or in his youth. Surfers, outside workers, and lifeguards have a high risk of lip cancer due to being consistently outside when the sun is at its strongest.
- Tobacco use of any kind. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, as well as chewing tobacco or snuff all greatly increase the risk of developing lip cancer. Those who vape will most likely see an increase in lip cancer as well but only time will tell.
- Heavy alcohol use. When alcohol use is combined with smoking, the risk of lip cancer increases significantly.
- Being fair-skinned. Those with lighter skin complexions are more likely to develop any type of skin cancer, including lip cancer.
- Being over 40.
- Being male.
- Having a weakened immune system.
Getting Help During Recovery From Lip Cancer Treatment
The good news about lip cancer is that it’s usually spotted fairly quickly and treated so that your loved one can recover from it. Treatment can include removing the affected area (and possibly lymph nodes if it has spread), radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. After treatment, some patients will desire to get reconstructive surgery to make the mouth area look like it did before, and may even need some speech therapy.
When your elderly loved one has his lip cancer treated, he might benefit from senior home care to help him balance his daily responsibilities while recovering. A senior home care provider can come to the home and help with household chores if he is low in energy or help prepare healthy meals while he is recovering to give his body what it needs to be strong and resilient during treatments. A senior home care provider is a great option if the family doesn’t live nearby and isn’t available to help during his recovery time.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Senior Home Care in King City, OR, please contact the caring staff at Integrity In-Home Care. Call today at (503) 660-3755.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21933-lip-cancer