Step 2: Monitor Your Body
Frequency
- Monthly, or if you notice a sign or symptom, repeat test every couple days.
Preparation
- Know the oral signs and symptoms for early cancer detection
- Know what your face typically looks like
- Mirror
- Flashlight
- Camera
- 2×2 or 3×3 gauze
Examination
- Rinse your mouth and throat to remove all particles and ensure no food, liquid, or candy coloring exist.
- Position yourself in front of a mirror with bright light, a camera, and a flashlight.
- Remove dentures.
- Open mouth. Look in the mirror to ensure no coloring from food, liquids, or candy is present.
- Look at your face in the mirror to see any visual changes.
- Press along the sides and front of the neck and feel for tenderness or lumps. Do the same on your face. Take note of any bumps or swelling.
- Pull your upper lip up and look for sores and color changes on your lips and gums. Repeat this procedure on your lower lip.
- Use your fingers to pull out your cheeks and look for color changes such as red, white, or dark patches. Put your index finger on the inside and your thumb on the outside of your cheeks to feel for any lumps. Repeat on the other cheek.
- Tilt your head back and open your mouth wide to see if there are lumps, spots, or color changes in the back of your throat.
- Grab your tongue with cotton gauze and examine for swellings or color changes. Look at the top, back, and each side of your tongue.
- Touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue and look at the underside of your tongue and the floor of your mouth. See if there are color changes or lumps. When possible, use one finger inside your mouth and one finger on the outside, corresponding to the same place and feel for unusual bumps, swelling or tenderness.
- Photograph any suspicious areas that are difficult to see.
or
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Take Action
Should you notice any changes, signs, or symptoms. consider them “red flags”. They do not mean you have cancer. Repeat test. If there is no improvement, contact your dentist or medical team for a professional evaluation.
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You're on Step 2
Step 1:
Signs & Symptoms
To monitor yourself for early cancer detection, you must know the cancer signs and symptoms. A listing of the various signs and symptoms are just a click away.
Step 2:
Body Monitoring
Cancer grows 24/7. Therefore, you must monitor your body to detect any abnormality between regular doctor visits or screenings. The tools and methods are described in this section.
Step 3:
Family History
Knowing and charting your family medical history will help your medical team as they develop a long-term wellness program suited to your unique needs.
Step 4:
Medical Team
Cancer is not self-healing. Therefore, when spotting a cancer sign or symptom, consider it a red flag that should cause you to consult your medical team immediately to determine if it is cancer or another illness.
Step 5:
Screening & Testing
Not all cancer signs and symptoms are visible. You should establish specific times for the various cancer screening and tests with your medical team.