Medical Care

To reduce the risk of progression to oral cancer, smokeless tobacco use should be minimized, with cessation encouraged. The National Cancer Institute recommends that clinicians use the "4 A s," as follows:

Ask about tobacco use
Advise patients to quit smoking
Assist patients in quitting
Arrange follow-up

A 2010 study comparing the effectiveness of a 4-mg nicotine lozenge with behavior intervention compared with behavioral intervention alone reported no difference between groups for increasing tobacco abstinence, quit attempts, and duration of abstinence.^[44]

The National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP)^[45]is a national organization committed to minimizing the risk of oral cancers associated with smokeless tobacco through education. This organization does not advocate smokeless tobacco use as a healthier alternative to cigarette smoking. NSTEP targets education to the general public and specifically to baseball players and their families, in whom the use of smokeless tobacco is extremely high. In fact, NSTEP is supported and endorsed by both Major League Baseball and Little League Baseball.

In 2015, San Francisco became the first US city to ban the use of smokeless tobacco at sporting events, including AT&T Park, home of the city's Major League Baseball team, the Giants. Following step, four additional cities—New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago—are enacting similar measures.^[46]

According to the most recent Cochrane review on interventions for smokeless tobacco use cessation, nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion have not been shown to affect long-term abstinence. Behavioral interventions should be used to help smokeless tobacco users to quit, and telephone counselling or an oral examination may increase abstinence rates.^[47]

Surgical Care

Biopsy should be performed on lesions of erythroplasia that are suggestive of cancer based on their appearance or location in the oral cavity or those that have failed to resolve within 2-3 weeks. Premalignant lesions and carcinoma in situ (CIS) may be permanently cured after excision or biopsy. Primary and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are treated with varying combinations of surgery and/or radiation.

Once a diagnosis of oral cancer is established, the therapeutic approach is multidisciplinary.

Consultations

Treatment for oral cancer may involve consultation with the following:

Dentist
Head and neck surgeon (otolaryngologist)
Maxillofacial surgeon
Radiation oncologist
Speech therapist
Surgical oncologist

Diet

Several studies have found that a diet low in fruits and vegetables is linked with an increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx.^[48]

Cigarette, cigar, or pipe use at each time interval correlated with significantly increased caloric intake in males but not in females. In both males and females, tobacco users consumed more fat, cholesterol, and alcohol.

Prevention

The National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP), with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other national organizations, advocates the prevention of smokeless tobacco use through education. Additionally, clinicians should use the "4 A s" proposed by the National Cancer Institute as outlined in Medical Care.

Long-Term Monitoring

Persons who use smokeless tobacco should have regular follow-up visits to their physician and dentist for oral examinations. Long-term monitoring for the development of new oral lesions is important for early detection and prevention of oral cancer.

Medication

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Media Gallery

Verrucous carcinoma.
Oral leukoplakia.

of 2

Author

Carol E Cheng, MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Maryanne Makredes, MD Resident Physician, Division of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center

Maryanne Makredes, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Alexa Boer Kimball, MD, MPH Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Senior Vice President, Service Excellence and Practice Improvement, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Vice Chair, Department of Dermatology, Director, Clinical Unit for Research Trials in Skin (CURTIS), Massachusetts General Hospital

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

David F Butler, MD Former Section Chief of Dermatology, Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System; Professor of Dermatology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Founding Chair, Department of Dermatology, Scott and White Clinic

David F Butler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Military Dermatologists, Phi Beta Kappa, Texas Dermatological Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Drore Eisen, MD, DDS Consulting Staff, Dermatology of Southwest Ohio

Drore Eisen, MD, DDS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Oral Medicine, American Dental Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

William D James, MD Paul R Gross Professor of Dermatology, Vice-Chairman, Residency Program Director, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

William D James, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Investigative Dermatology

Disclosure: Received income in an amount equal to or greater than $250 from: Elsevier; WebMD<br/>Served as a speaker for various universities, dermatology societies, and dermatology departments.

Additional Contributors

Jacek C Szepietowski, MD, PhD Professor, Vice-Head, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University; Director of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Disclosure: Received consulting fee from Orfagen for consulting; Received consulting fee from Maruho for consulting; Received consulting fee from Astellas for consulting; Received consulting fee from Abbott for consulting; Received consulting fee from Leo Pharma for consulting; Received consulting fee from Biogenoma for consulting; Received honoraria from Janssen for speaking and teaching; Received honoraria from Medac for speaking and teaching; Received consulting fee from Dignity Sciences for consulting; .

Acknowledgements

Jacqueline Dolev, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Director for the Advancement of Medical Education in Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.