How long does it take to possibly get oral cancer if you chew?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

lebby74 - 14 Nov 2007 00:09 GMT

I have been chewing tobaco for about 1.5 months now,,,and its pretty good. I
really truly beleive that I', not addicted to it...but I'am wondering how
long do you have to chew to get oral cancer OR any other un-healthy signs?

Reply to this Message

Zzzdentist@dentalminds.com - 14 Nov 2007 08:10 GMT

> I have been chewing tobaco for about 1.5 months now,,,and its pretty good. I
> really truly beleive that I', not addicted to it...but I'am wondering how
> long do you have to chew to get oral cancer OR any other un-healthy signs?

I don't know if someone really can give you an accurate timeframe for
when you can expect cancer to occur, but I can say that chewing
tobacco is probably one of the highest risks for developing oral
cancer. If you saw some of the photos of people and the cancers that
they develop in the oral cavity from chewing tobacco, you would quit
like yesterday.

It's the cases where the people don't die that leaves a lasting
impression on you. People have had parts of their jaws anf faces
removed and have been left with severe deformities from the attempts
to get rid of all the cancer that can develop. I personally would
prefer dying than living with half my face removed, but hey that's
just me.

http://www.maricopa.gov/Public_Health/Community/Tobacco/mouth/smokeless.aspx

Do a search for en bloc oral surgery and squamous cell carcinoma, and
see what you come up with.

Zzzdentist
www.dentalminds.com

Reply to this Message

Dave King - 14 Nov 2007 13:59 GMT

>> I have been chewing tobaco for about 1.5 months now,,,and its pretty good. I
>> really truly beleive that I', not addicted to it...but I'am wondering how
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>tobacco is probably one of the highest risks for developing oral
>cancer.

Your correct on the timelines but not so with the probability.

Ever wonder why you never hear of epidemics of squamous cell carcinoma
especially in the southern states where you see a very high rate of
smokeless tobacco use, even with woman? The key is combustion leading
to a vastly higher amount of carcinogens present with cigarette
smoking.

The most common carcinoma associated with chewing is a verrucous form
that is not invasive nor metastatic unless entirely left alone. These
lesions typically arise after atleast 20years of tobacco use and can
be far easier to treat.

I am not advocating smokeless tobacco use because you can still
develope invasive carcinomas but the likelyhood is lower than with
cigarettes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David A. King, D.M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of OMS
Fellow, American Association of OMS
HTTP://WWW.DEOMFS.NET

> If you saw some of the photos of people and the cancers that
>they develop in the oral cavity from chewing tobacco, you would quit
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>Zzzdentist
>www.dentalminds.com

Reply to this Message

Zzzdentist@dentalminds.com - 14 Nov 2007 21:47 GMT

> Your correct on the timelines but not so with the probability.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Fellow, American Association of OMS
> HTTP://WWW.DEOMFS.NET

Thanks Dr. King for that clarification. The impression that I
received from dental school was that chewing tobacco was quite a bit
worse than smoking due to its prolonged, direct contact with the oral
tissues, but I see that isn't necessarily true. We never really did
go into a lot of epidemiology studies so it's interesting to find out
the correct information.

Here's a couple of articles I ran across while reading a bit more into
the subject:

http://books.google.com/books?id=IpiZ9vrvPRIC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=smokeless+toba
cco+versus+smoking+oral+cancer&source=web&ots=U9Xz8QO6jY&sig=Tosbb32gR7w5hGrEbv6
WpCiEqVo#PPA91,M1

http://www.maxillofacialcenter.com/WVcancer98.htm

Zzzdentist
www.dentalminds.com

Reply to this Message