Do Not Want To Go For Surgery ? Mouth Cancer Interventions

Have you ever wondered about the alternatives to surgical interventions when it comes to treating mouth cancer? 

Yes, mouth cancer can be treated without surgery!

Medical advancements can help you avail options that don’t involve the conventional route of surgery. In this blog, we’ll delve into six intriguing possibilities for treating mouth cancer without resorting to surgical procedures. 

From cutting-edge therapies to holistic approaches, explore the diverse world of non-surgical treatments that are offering hope and promise to those facing the challenge of oral cancer. 

Although surgery is commonly the primary treatment for mouth cancer, it can have lasting and significant effects on the appearance and function of your mouth. Issues such as difficulty in eating, and drinking, loss of taste buds, and speech problems may arise post-surgery, impacting your self-image and personal and professional life.

Before committing to a treatment plan, it is crucial to explore nonsurgical options. Non-surgical treatments, if suitable, maintain the integrity of your mouth, face, and jaw without causing permanent damage to your appearance or affecting your ability to speak, taste, and chew.

While surgery may be the best choice in certain cases to save a life, it is always better for you to consult a specialized tumor board. This will help you explore non-surgical alternatives with your doctor.

Before delving into non-surgical options, it’s essential to understand the stage and grade of cancer. Staging measures the extent of cancer spread, and grading indicates its aggressiveness. The three grades of mouth cancer are low, moderate, and high. For further information on grades and the spread of mouth cancer, visit our advanced mouth cancer treatment page.

6 Options for Mouth Cancer Treatment Without Surgery

Knowing non-surgical treatment options for addressing mouth cancer is important for you. From targeted therapies to innovative medical interventions, here are six compelling alternatives that offer hope and effectiveness in managing mouth cancer without resorting to surgery.

1. Radiotherapy for mouth cancer

Radiotherapy employs doses of radiation to eliminate cancer cells, commonly administered post-surgery in mouth cancer to deter recurrence. Throat cancer frequently undergoes initial treatment through a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. 

The treatment frequency, spanning six weeks, depends on the cancer’s size and spread. The Cyberknife, a cutting-edge radiosurgery tool, distinguishes itself by precisely targeting small areas with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues, marking a significant advancement in technology.

Learn more about cyberknife treatment

2. Internal radiotherapy for mouth cancer

Mouth cancers that are in the early stages can be treated with internal radiotherapy, also referred to as brachytherapy.

Following a general anesthetic, radioactive implants are placed right into the tumor.

The cancer cells will receive a much higher dose of radiation than the rest of your mouth while the implants are in place for 1 to 8 days.

Five to ten days after the implants are removed, your mouth will swell due to the radioactive implants, and you will feel some pain.

3. Chemotherapy for mouth cancer

Chemotherapy uses powerful cancer-killing medicines, which damage the DNA of the cancerous cells, interrupting their ability to reproduce.

If the cancer is advanced or there is a high likelihood that it will return, chemotherapy may occasionally be combined with radiotherapy.

4. Immunotherapy for mouth cancer

Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy medication used for treating advanced or inoperable mouth cancer.

Immunotherapy helps your immune system to find cancer cells and destroy them. By obstructing the signals that prevent white blood cells from attacking cancer cells, checkpoint inhibitors assist the immune system in accomplishing this.

5. Targeted therapy for mouth cancer

Targeted cancer drugs, such as cetuximab (Erbitux), focus on specific features in cancer cells that facilitate their growth and survival. Unlike standard chemotherapy, cetuximab is a form of targeted therapy commonly used for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer, often in conjunction with radiotherapy. 

By specifically targeting epidermal growth factor receptors on the surface of cancer cells, cetuximab hinders their ability to grow and spread, offering a more refined treatment approach with fewer side effects compared to conventional chemotherapy.

Please visit to read more on targeted therapy for cancer treatment.

6. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for mouth cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be suggested if you have mouth lesions that are at risk of developing cancer or if the cancer is discovered very early and is only present on the surface of your mouth, photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be suggested. 

Its success rate hasn’t been contrasted with conventional therapy yet, though.

When it has been determined that additional conventional treatment will not result in a cure or benefits, PDT can also be used to temporarily control cancer.

In order to treat mouth cancer, photodynamic therapy uses a medication known as a photosensitizing agent and a specific type of light.

After taking the medication, lasers are used to shine a light on cancer. This eliminates the cancer’s outer layer as well as some nearby mouth tissue.

Conclusion

We advise you to consult with your doctor regarding non-surgical treatment options. In cases of uncertainty, seeking guidance from a reputable tumor board is recommended. Tumor boards generally assess various protocols before determining a suitable treatment plan.

The MedicoExperts Tumor Board approach has assisted individuals globally in managing mouth cancer. If access to a reliable tumor board is difficult, reaching out to the MedicoExperts tumor board is an option. To schedule an appointment, please click the button below.

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