If there were a content on the most popular search terms that land results on Binarybiker.com. the term “lip cancer” would be the clear winner – with over seven (7) times the hit relevancy than any other term. This is my SEO claim to fame: lip cancer. Apparently, many people with mouth sores, fever blisters, infections, or herpes are scared that they have cancer and somehow find their way here in their quest for knowledge. I have one, count it, one blog post dealing with fat lips and cancer.
These other popular terms find their way to my blog:
- white bump on lip
- pet scan machine
- lip cancer photos
- mouth cancer symptoms
- cancer on lips
- fat lip
- signs of mouth cancer
I have been thinking about this lately. My blog is known for many reasons – my political views, my fiction, my tongue-in-cheek editorials. But the one I am most proud of is my cancer blog. I fill a need there; many people find my website looking for cancer support and ideas. And most people, strangely enough, come looking for signs of lip cancer. And I have nothing to say to them – they read my blog about how I freaked myself out because I mistakenly thought I had cancer in my lips, and then they go on to the next site.
I’ve never had lip cancer. I do know that over 20,000 people get diagnosed with oral cancer every year. I, too, had oral cancer, but mine was in my tonsils and it spread (Stage III) into my lymph nodes. About 15% of those diagnosed with oral cancer every year are diagnosed with lip cancer. I know that there is usually no “early warning” for lip cancer – you usually find it because you get a sore that will not heal.
Some of the signs of lip cancer include (source):
- A sore on the lip or in the mouth that does not heal.
- A lump or thickening on the lips or gums or in the mouth.
- A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsils, or lining of the mouth.
- Bleeding, pain, or numbness in the lip or mouth.
- Change in voice.
- Loose teeth or dentures that no longer fit well.
- Trouble chewing or swallowing or moving the tongue or jaw.
- Swelling of jaw.
- Sore throat or feeling that something is caught in the throat.
The good news is that lip cancer is treatable with surgery and maybe some radiation. Only rarely is chemo required – usually when it is diagnosed in a really advanced stage. Lip cancer can be caused by a number of factors and it can be difficult to attribute the cancer to a single cause. The sun, smoking, heavy drinking, and the HPV virus are all associated with lip cancer. And, strangely enough, being a man is a risk factor according to every website I read.
If you have found this website in a search to learn more about lip cancer, and are afraid for yourself or a loved on – please know that you are not alone. Cancer is a disease we all have to face at some level in our life. Don’t rely on the Internet, this website, or any “friendly” advice to help you self-diagnose. Go to the doctor – get tested – and find out for sure. Don’t let the Net scare you unnecessarily or give you a false sense of security. Until you go to the doctor and get tested, you just don’t know.
It’s scary – but you are not alone. And cancer is a disease that is easier to fight the earlier it is caught. Don’t wait – call your doctor now if you are concerned.
