There are different types of oral cancer treatments and every method depends upon the type of the cancer, patient history, position, rate of growth, extent of spread, etc. Usually, cancer patients go through one type of treatment, but in some cases there is a combination of different methods like surgery and radiation therapy. Let us take a look at different types of oral cancer treatment methods.

Chemotherapy
In some cases, chemotherapy is used for the treatment of oral cancer combined with other methods like radiation therapy. In cases where surgery is not possible and the cancer is deep inside the throat, chemo and radiation are combined. The medications used in chemo have the below-mentioned properties.

• Alkalytic Agents
  These attack the DNA cells directly and affect the cells at any life cycle. However, these agents are most effective when administered during the DNA synthesis. Alkalytic agents are used to treat chronic leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease and even lymphoma. They are administered orally or intravenous and some of the most common examples of these medications are Cyclophosphamide, mechlorethamine and Cisplatin.
• Nitrosoureas
  They are similar to alkalytic agents and they stop the changes that are responsible for repairing the DNA. The best part about these medications is they can cross the blood brain barrier making them very effective when it comes to treating brain tumors. They are also used to treat melanomas and lymphomas. Like alkalytic agents, nitrosoureas are also administered intravenously or orally. Carmustine and lomustine are nitrosoureas.

Radiation Therapy
In radiation therapy high energy beams are targeted towards the cancer cells to destroy them. Radiation therapy is often used to clear out any remaining cancer cells after a surgery. In some cases, radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy when surgery is not possible. Some of the types of radiation therapy are

• External Beam Radiation
  In this an external machine that directs a beam of high intensity towards the site of the cancer cells killing the cancer cells and the tissues surrounding them.
• Brachytherapy
  This procedure is an internal radiation therapy where the high intensity beam is directed towards the cancer cells internally making it even more accurate.
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
  It is a very precise procedure where an image of the cancer cells are formed and then an intensity modulated device regulates the beam at necessary angle to kill the cancer cells with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues.

Surgery
Most of the oral cancers are treated with surgery. The type of the surgery depends upon the size and the location of the tumor. Types of surgery are as follows:

• Wide local excision
  This procedure is used only when the cancer is small and during earlier stages where it has not spread much. This procedure involves the removal of cancer cells along with some healthy tissues around the cancer cells.
• Glossectomy
  This procedure involves removal of a part of the tongue or the entire tongue depending on the size and spread of the cancer cells.
• Mandibulectomy
  This procedure involves surgical removal of a part of the jaw or the entire lower jaw.