Oncology >>>> Lip cancer

Lip cancer.

Lip cancer is not a very common cancer. According to statistics, in 90% of cases, cancers develop on the lower lip (and the vast majority of cases are men). Rare cases of cancer of the upper lip are recorded mainly in women.

Causes of lip cancer:

Precancerous changes in the mucous membrane of the lip: Manganotti cheilitis, hyperkeratosis of the red border of the lips, leukoplakia, Bowen's disease, chronic ulcers, chronic lip cracks, postrengen stomatitis, etc.
Chronic lip injuries: burns from smoking, burns from drinks, prolonged sun exposure (ultraviolet light), chapped and dry lips, injuries to teeth or dentures, viral infections, low-quality lipstick with toxic additives.

Spinocellular and basocellular carcinomas are distinguished pathohistologically.

Spinocellular carcinoma is formed from cells of the prickly layer of the skin and is called squamous cell carcinoma. It is the most malignant metastatic cancer.

Basocellular carcinoma is formed from the cells of the basal layer of the epithelium and is called basal cell carcinoma.

By histological structure, lip cancer is mainly squamous, and, as a rule, it is preceded by precancerous changes. Cancer of the lower lip is more often localized on the lateral surface of the lip in the form of a long-term non-healing ulcer with raised edges, painless. But over time, the process can spread to the oral mucosa or go beyond the border of the lip to the skin.

In general, a typical sign of malignancy of an element that occurs on the lip is compaction, thickening at its base, the formation of roller-like edges, ulceration of the surface and its bleeding.

Lip cancer can take two forms:

Papillary - developing from foci of leukoplakia, warty precancer, hyperkeratosis, papilloma, cutaneous horn;
Ulcerative - developing from the elements of Manganotti cheilitis or chronic inflammatory processes (ulcerative).

Diagnosis of lip cancer is based on examination with the naked eye, palpation and with help to check the depth of the lesion. Differential diagnosis is required with diseases such as tuberculous ulcer, syphilis, herpetic cheilitis.

Lip cancer treatment is carried out by directional radiation - close-focus X-ray therapy (the dose of radiation depends on the stage of development of lip cancer, the first - the third).

Combined treatment with preoperative radiation and surgical excision of the tumor is performed at the fourth stage of lip cancer. At the same time, depending on the localization of the process and its prevalence, only the lip tumor, the frontal part of the lower jaw, the bottom of the oral cavity, areas with the lymph node of the metastatic zone are removed. Regional chemotherapy is sometimes used. In case of recurrent lip cancer after irradiation, the treatment is supplemented with cryosurgical destruction or electrosurgical removal of tissues, leaving two to three centimeters along the perimeter from the tumor.

The prognosis of recovery depends on the diagnosis of lip cancer in the early stages, but if the disease is neglected, then even a five-year survival rate with high-tech treatment, oncologists give only about 30-40% of patients. This suggests that if suspicious long-term non-healing injuries or ulcers, outgrowths and other unusual elements on the lip appear, an urgent need to consult a doctor for diagnosis.