What Is Buccal Mucosa Cancer?
The buccal mucosa is the inner soft tissue lining of the cheek or the inside of the cheek area. Buccal mucosa carcinoma or cancers constitute one to two percent of all intraoral carcinomas. Though it is not a very prominent site for the occurrence of oral cancer, in India, particular risk factors or causes, including the widespread use of tobacco and betel nuts, make it a common and aggressive cancerous lesion. Other causes include heavy alcohol use, marijuana use, unhealthy diet, poor oral hygiene, poor oral immunosuppressed patients, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and HPV (human papillomavirus) infections, and pre-existing chronic premalignant lesions or chronic oral irritations can be risk factors for buccal mucosa carcinomas.
Buccal mucosa cancers can be invasive and spread to the surrounding jaw muscles, cheeks, and adjacent structures of the face and neck, which may make facial reconstruction more challenging for the surgeon. Buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinomas can be aggressive with a high recurrence rate, and diagnosis at an early stage after identifying the signs and symptoms would prove life-saving.
What Are the Clinical Features and Signs of Buccal Mucosa Cancer?
Though this cancer can occur in any age group, it most commonly affects the 50-plus age group, with a higher incidence in men than in women and particularly in smokers and tobacco users. Upon intraoral examination of the lesion, the buccal mucosa cancers are mainly of three types, that is,
-
The Exophytic Type - The ulcers are often ‘exophytic’ or deep excavating lesions along the occlusal lines of buccal mucosa and may rapidly invade the surrounding tissues.
-
The Verrucous Type - White speckled patches or modulated ulcers on the inner side of cheeks with a verrucous or well-defined growth.
-
The Ulcerative Type - Indurated painful lesions or ulcers in the inner side of the cheek that may reach the external surface of the face as a protruding nodular mass in the advanced form of cancer. Signs of this form of oral cancer may include the following if the following problems accompany the white patches or indurated ulcers:
-
White or red patches that persist for several days or weeks.
-
Difficulty in mouth opening or trismus (may be sudden, acute, or chronic in onset).
-
An observable change in the voice or hoarseness in the voice while talking.
-
Persistent lumps in the cheek or neck (due to lymphatic spread to the neck) can be observed only in the later stages of cancer.
-
Unexplained bleeding in the oral cavity.
-
Sudden weight loss is also a feature of some aggressive forms of buccal mucosa cancer.
-
Tooth mobility without any apparent history of periodontal disease or gum infection.
-
Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing or gulping food and water.
What Are the Stages of Buccal Mucosa Cancer?
Cancer staging ranges from one to four, where stage 1 refers to a small tumor having no lymph node involvement or metastasis, and higher stages refer to the various combinations of the categories, such as:
-
Size of the tumor.
-
Lymph node involvement.
-
Metastasis (spread to other parts of the body).
Grading of buccal mucosa cancer is done in the following ways:
-
GX: Grade not evaluated.
-
G1: Well-differentiated.
-
G2: Moderately differentiated.
-
G3 and G4: Poorly differentiated.
How Are Buccal Mucosa Cancers Diagnosed?
The maxillofacial surgeon or dentist must carry out preliminary investigations, such as brush biopsy or FNAC (fine-needle aspiration cytology), of the affected or suspected tissue. Once the lesion's diagnosis is clear, the procedure for removing it via surgery and chemotherapy or radiotherapy can proceed. The following investigations are useful in diagnosing buccal mucosa cancers:
-
FNAC (Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology): A thin needle is placed in the mouth, and the cells are suctioned or aspirated correctly by the surgeon to be further examined in the laboratory by microscopy. A special Papanicolaou stain is used to prepare a smear slide of the tissue to reveal the dysplastic or abnormal changes by cytology. It will reveal the malignancy (or non-malignant nature of the lesion if it is not a buccal mucosa cancer).
-
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): This technology uses an MRI machine, which uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to picture in detail the inside of the mouth and neck and study the spread of cancer within the head and neck region.
-
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan: In this scan, a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The scanner visualizes the computerized pictures of the suspected area or site. Cancerous or malignant cells will absorb more radioactive glucose than normal cells, so the tumor is investigated this way.
-
X-ray: To determine the accurate prognosis (of the patient concerning the cancer spread), an X-ray of the lungs may be required in addition.
-
CT (Computerized Tomography) Scan: Contrast imaging, which involves injecting dyes or swallowing pills, will also help the surgeon diagnose cancer by highlighting the head and neck tissues.
-
Other: Special investigations, such as immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and DNA probe analysis, may be needed to detect poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas or critical oral malignant lesions.
How Can Buccal Mucosa Cancers Be Treated?
-
Buccal mucosa cancers can be aggressive and life-threatening if they progress from the first stage of malignancy (T1) to the progressive stages of cancer (like T2, T3, or T4). Hence, the main modality of treatment is a combination of the complete elimination of the cancerous tissue (by the maxillofacial surgeon or general surgeon under general anesthesia), chemotherapy, and facial reconstruction at the site where the surgery is performed (if the facial structures are involved that can lead to scar formation).
-
The maxillofacial surgeon can perform surgical reconstruction of the parotid gland, also known as gland preservation procedures or ductoplasty, in case the tumor resection surgeries are invasive or cause trauma to the parotid salivary glands.
-
Often during a routine dental examination by the surgeon, the patient comes to know about the presence of premalignant lesions or cancerous lesions more often when they are prone to risk factors of smoking, chronic alcoholism, betel nut, or areca nut chewing, and repeated exposure to tobacco or nicotine-based products. Management for these patients depends primarily on the cessation of harmful habits so that the cancers do not aggravate further or hamper the prognosis after surgery.
Conclusion:
Buccal mucosa carcinoma can be very aggressive if not diagnosed on time by the dental surgeon. Following a risk-free lifestyle by quitting tobacco, alcohol, and betel nut consumption (apart from patients with chronic illnesses) is advocated to prevent oral cancers. Management by the surgeon by reconstruction of the invaded tissue and chemo or radiotherapy as required is crucial to these patients' success rate and survival.