Jaw Bone Cancer

Jaw Bone Cancer: Awareness Begins

What is Jaw Bone cancer?

Jaw cancer is a common form of head and neck cancer that typically arises when an oral cancer extends to the jaw. Jaw cancer typically emerges when an oral cancer extends to either the mandible (lower jaw) or the maxilla (upper jaw).  Sometimes cancer arises from skin covering jaw bone and involve jaw.

Other rare cancers like sarcomas and ameloblatic carcinoma also arise in jaw bone.

Types of jaw cancer include:

  • squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (makes up over 90% of oral cancers)
  • ameloblastic carcinoma
  • primary intraosseous carcinoma
  • sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma
  • clear cell odontogenic carcinoma
  • ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma
  • odontogenic carcinosarcoma
  • odontogenic sarcomas

What causes Jaw Bone cancer

Jaw cancer is frequently categorized under the broader umbrella of head and neck cancers, leading to shared risk factors. The primary risk factors encompass:

Common signs and symptoms of Jaw Bone cancer

As jaw cancer frequently originates from oral cancer, initial symptoms may comprise:

  • The presence of white or red patches on the gums, tongue, or the oral cavity’s lining.
  • Mouth bleeding or discomfort.
  • Enlargement or swelling of the jaw.

As the cancer extends into the jaw, symptoms may intensify and become more conspicuous, including:

  • New or heightened pain.
  • Pain while swallowing.
  • A neck lump.
  • Ear pain.
  • Alterations in speech.
  • Mouth sores that persist without healing for at least three weeks.

Diagnosis of Jaw Bone cancer

To detect jaw cancer, medical professionals follow these steps:

  • Physical Examination: Conduct a physical assessment, palpating for lumps or swollen glands and visually inspecting the area for anomalies. They may also request blood or urine tests.
  • Biopsy: If there are suspicions or suspicious findings, a jaw biopsy is performed. This entails removing a small sample of abnormal tissue for microscopic laboratory examination.
  • Imaging Tests: Upon cancer confirmation, doctors may order imaging tests to determine the extent of cancer spread. These tests can include:

             – X-rays

            – Ultrasound

           – MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

           – CT scan (Computed Tomography)

           – Bone scan

Treatment for Jaw Bone cancer

Treatment for jaw cancer depends on cancer stage, potential side effects, and overall health. Key treatments for oral cavity cancer, including jaw cancer, include:

  • Surgery: Involves the removal of cancerous tissue, which may necessitate jawbone replacement. Surgical procedures can include:
    • Marginal mandibulectomy: Removal of a portion of the jawbone.
    • Segmental mandibulectomy: Removal of a substantial part of the jawbone.
    • Maxillectomy: Removal of part or the entire maxilla if cancer has extended into the front of the mouth’s roof.
  • Radiation Therapy: Employed for jaw cancer, typically utilizing external beam radiation therapy.
  • Chemotherapy: Administered when cancer has spread beyond the jaw and may be combined with radiation therapy.

Surgery is main treatment option called Composite resection followed by post operative radiotheraphy

Marginal mandibulectomy

Here only a margin of mandible is resected maintaining the continuity of jawbone so that shape and function (chewing , speech) are preserved. The resected area is generally covered with flap.

This type of surgery is done in cases with   cancer touching jaw bone or early involvement of jaw bone.

Management of Mandibulectomy

Segmental Mandibulectomy

Here bone is involved by tumor, so full thickness segment of jawbone is removed to clear tumor.

This causes significant morbidity to functions like chewing , speech, swallowing and change in external appearance.

To reduce this morbidity during cancer surgery reconstruction can be done using bone or soft tissue flaps after resection of cancer. Bone can be replaced with bone using leg bone call Fibula free flap.This restores continuity of bone , so all functions are preserved and enhances  external appearance.

Cancer of lower jaw bone

Resected jaw bone with cancer                                            

This defect will be reconstructed with fibula free flap.

Fibula bone in leg will be shaped according to removed jawbone and fixed to jawbone 

Fibula bone in leg will be shaped according to removed jawbone and fixed to jaw bone. Skin of leg harvested along with bone will cover the defect in the mouth. Blood vessels of bone are connected to neck vessels for new blood supply.

After bone flap usage for reconstruction shape of face is restored ,occlusion of teeth is maintained so chewing hard food is possible and speech and swallowing are not affected.

CASE 11

Cancer of jaw bone , underwent composite resection and reconstruction with fibula free flap

SEGMENTAL MANDIBULECTOMY

Post operative picture
Restored function and cosmesis

Harvesting fibula free flap
Another example of jaw bone reconstruction

Oral cancer involving mandible (jaw bone)is a common scenario. This requires multimodality treatment and team approach for both resection and reconstruction to cure the patient from disease and also  to restore form and function so patients quality of life is not affected.

Contact us, DR Rahul buggaveeti and his team Dr Umanath Nayak , Dr Abhishek Bhudarapu  , the best head and neck surgeon team in south India for superior oncological results.

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Faq's

It is around 1 lakh - 4 lakhs, sometimes vary on seriousness of the cancer

By avoiding tobacco and alcohol are the best ways to prevent Jaw Bone Cancer

3 weeks is the recovery period for Jaw Bone cancer treatment but again it depends on the condition of the patient

Dr Rahul Buggaveeti is the best Jaw Bone Cancer doctor in Hyderabad

Dr. Rahul Buggaveeti also offers specialised treatment for

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