OS- Oral cancer

Question 1

What are the classic sites for cancer in the oropharynx

Answer 1

base of the tongue/ tonsil/ soft palate.

Question 2

What are the classic sites of oral cancer in the oral cavity?

Answer 2

lateral border and anterior 2/3 of the tongue.
Floor of the mouth
Retromolar trigone
Alveolus
Hard palate.

Question 3

List the 7 red flags for oral cancer

Answer 3

• Ulcers that do not heal after 2 weeks
• rolled margins & central necrosis.
• Speckled (erythroleukoplakia) appearance – White and red patches.
• Cervical lympadenopathy (lymph nodes enlarged size >1cm) firm/ fixed/ tender/ tethered (can’t move it with your hand)
• referred pain (ear/throat/mandible)
• Weight loss (local/systemic effects)

Question 4

What is lugol’s iodine test for?

Answer 4

Identification of dysplastic tissues.

Question 5

How do we use the TNM to stage cancer

Answer 5

T- tumour size.
N- nodes (is there lymph node involvement.
M- metastasis (has the cancer moved)

Question 6

What are the treatment options for oral cancer?

Answer 6

• No treatment
• Surgical
• radiotherapy
• chemo radiotherapy
• Dual or triple modality (multiple treatments together)

Question 7

What side effect are we concerned about with treatment?

Answer 7

Osteoradionecrosis with radiotherapy >70Gys

Question 8

What is a Class I osteoradionecrosis ?

Answer 8

ORN confined to the alveolar bone

Question 9

What is a class II osteoradionecrosis?

Answer 9

ORN limited to the alveolar bone and/or the mandible above the level of the mandibular alveolar canal.

Question 10

What is a class III oral cancer.

Answer 10

ORN that extends in the mandible below the level of the inferior alveolar canal
ORN with a skin fistula and/ or pathological fracture.