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Lip cancer is a type of mouth (oral) cancer commonly found on the lower lip, although can occur on either upper or lower lip. Most of lip cancers start at the squamous cells located at the middle and outer layer of the skin which is why it is called squamous cell carcinoma.
Symptoms
Lip cancer may include the following signs and symptoms:
- Lip discoloration
- Lip sore, ulcer, lump, or blister that does not heal
- Bleeding lip
- Swollen jaw
- Pain, tingling and numbness of the lips or the skin around it.
If these symptoms persist, consult a doctor.
Causes
The cause of lip cancer is unclear but generally, cancer begins when the DNA of the cells mutate and divide rapidly forming a tumor and causing the healthy cells to die. The tumor may grow and spread to nearby tissues so called metastasis.
Risk factors
The following are risk factors that may develop into lip cancer:
- Using tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, etc.)
- Heavy alcohol drinking
- Constant sun exposure
- Having a fair skin
- History of sunburn
- Age: over 40 years old
- Gender: Male are more susceptible than female
- Compromised immune system
- Having Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV)
- Personal or family history of skin cancer
- chronic ulcer
Diagnosis
The following tests may be done to diagnose lip cancer:
- Physical exam. The doctor will assess the signs and symptoms of the lip, mouth, face and neck and lymph nodes for any signs of cancer.
- Biopsy. The doctor will take a tissue sample for examination under a microscope to check for cancer and the type.
- Imaging tests. Imaging tests may be done to know if cancer has spread.
- Computerized Tomography (CT)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Endoscopy. If lip cancer is suspected to affect more than the lips, the doctor may do endoscopy where a small, flexible tube with a camera is inserted down the throat to check for any cancer signs.
Treatment
The following treatments can be applied:
- Surgery. Removes lip cancer and healthy tissues around it. The lips are then repaired, in order for the patient to be able to eat, drink, and speak normally. The smaller the cancer, the simpler the surgery, as compared to a larger size that may require a highly skilled plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Furthermore, the surgery may also involve removing some neck lymph nodes.
- Radiation therapy. Uses a strong beam of energy through X–rays and protons to destroy cancer. Radiation for lip cancer may be done alone or after surgery, focused only on the lip or also on the lymph nodes in the neck.
Radiation may be targeted with a high dosage directly unto the lips through energy beams or may be directly put on the lips for a short time called brachytherapy. - Chemotherapy. Uses medication to destroy cancer cells. It may be combined with radiation therapy for a more effective treatment. If the lip cancer is in its advanced stage, chemotherapy is used to control the signs and symptoms.
- Targeted drug therapy. Targets only the weak parts of the cancer cells and kills the cancer cells. It is usually done in combination with chemotherapy.
- Immunotherapy. Uses the body’s own immune system to destroy cancer. The cancer cells produce proteins to disguise themselves so that the body’s immune system fighting diseases will not attack them. Immunotherapy disrupts the disguise and kills cancer cells. This treatment may be used to treat advanced stage lip cancer when other treatments are not effective.
