3.61 Treatment
Oral cancer is a localised disease that most likely infiltrates adjacent bone and soft tissue and tends to spread to regional lymph nodes in the head and neck region. It is essential to carry out a thorough examination which includes, inspection, palpation of oral cavity and neck; distant metastasis is quite unlikely.
Imaging modalities such as CT and MRI are commonly used to investigate the extent of spread of oral cancer to adjacent tissues including bone and soft tissue. The treatment should be carried out in hospitals which are equipped with skills, expertise and equipment, as well as infrastructure required for the staging and treatment of patients, with minimal disfigurement, in terms of physical, functional …show more content…
Even though many hospitals are able to successfully treat the patients, very limited establishments offer rehabilitation to improve the quality of life of the patients. The treatment involves active participation from surgeons, oncologists, social workers, speech therapists, maxillofacial prosthodontist and other healthcare professionals such as nurse and pharmacists. Many factors can prevent disfigurements of the patients, aesthetically and functionally. These include: adequate training regarding speech and mastication for the treating surgeon, radiotherapist and oncologist, in order to perform minimal damage. Most of the tumours in developing countries are presented at advance stage and require extensive treatment and radiotherapy. These therapies cause massive deterioration in the functions. In some cases, medical professionals are not well aware of interventions such as tongue/jaw exercises, augmentation prosthesis, and speech exercises; consequently, they accept the post treatment complications, as …show more content…
Programs such as primary prevention and availability of therapeutic interventions are very important for oral cancer control policies. These policies should be well managed, in terms of monitoring and evaluation at regional as well as national level. India has many states, each comprising of different social and cultural backgrounds and varied socioeconomic status. In Chennai, there was an international congress held by the Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists (IAOMP); during this venture a 5 year action plan was proposed with clear and specific targets to decrease the incidence and death rate associated with oral cancer. It called for active involvement of individuals, communities, corporations and government in order to carry out actions by development of policies and delivery of healthcare