How is lip cancer treated

Early lip cancers may be treated by surgical removal of the cancer or with radiation therapy. More advanced cancers require more aggressive surgery, which also involves removing lymph nodes and other tissue from the same or both sides of the neck, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy may be used in addition to other treatments.

The goal of lip cancer treatment is to cure the cancer permanently or to bring about a complete remission of the disease. Remission means that there is no longer any sign of the disease in the body, although it may recur later.

Common treatments for lip cancer

Depending on the spread of disease, one or more of the following treatments may be used:

• Chemotherapy, often with cisplatin (Platinol), alone or in combination with other drugs, to attack cancer cells

• Radiation therapy to attack cancer cells

• Surgery to remove the cancer and evaluate how far it has spread

• Targeted therapy to attack cancer cells

Some people with lip cancer participate in clinical trials in which promising new therapies and treatments are studied.

Other treatments for lip cancer

Other therapies may be added to help with your general state of health and any side effects of treatment:

• Antinausea medications if nausea occurs

• Blood cell growth factors to increase the number of white blood cells if these get too low during treatment

• Blood transfusions to temporarily replace blood components such as red blood cells that have dropped to low levels as a result of treatment

• Dietary counseling to help maintain strength and nutritional status

• Occupational and physical therapy to help with swallowing problems

Complementary treatments

Some complementary treatments may help some people deal with lip cancer and its treatments. These treatments, sometimes referred to as alternative therapies, are used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments. Complementary treatments are not meant to substitute for full medical care.

Complementary treatments may include:

• Acupuncture

• Massage therapy

• Yoga

Hospice care

In cases in which lip cancer has progressed to an advanced stage and has become unresponsive to treatment, the goal of treatment may shift away from curing the disease and focus on measures to keep a person comfortable and maximize the quality of life. Hospice care involves medically controlling pain and other symptoms while providing psychological and spiritual support, as well as services to support the patient’s family.

What are the potential complications of lip cancer?

Complications of untreated lip cancer can be serious, even life threatening in some cases. You can help minimize your risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Complications of lip cancer include:

• Altered physical appearance

• Interference with the ability to eat, drink, talk or breathe

• Spread into nearby structures, such as the skin around the lip, mouth, tongue and mandible (lower jaw bone)

• Spread to distant areas of the body

• Spread to lymph nodes in the neck