These are the first symptoms of a… See more

When to See a Specialist: Your Action Plan

Don’t wait for pain. In India, early detection saves lives—and costs far less than late treatment

✅ See a dentist or ENT doctor if:
→ Any mouth sore lasts more than 14 days
→ You see white/red patches that don’t wipe off
→ There’s unexplained bleeding in the mouth
→ Your voice changes or you feel a lump in your neck

💡 Free/Low-Cost Help in India:
→ Tata Memorial’s “Tobacco Cessation” clinics (Mumbai, national telehealth)
→ All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) oral cancer screening camps
→ State Cancer Institutes (like RCC Thiruvananthapuram) offer subsidized care
→ ASHA workers can refer you to district hospital screenings

Stages of Oral Cancer: What They Mean for Healing

Staging isn’t about fear—it’s about hope with a map. Early stages often need minor surgery; late stages require longer healing.

Stage 0 (Pre-cancer)
Abnormal cells only in top mouth layer
>95% cure with minor removal
Stage I
Tumor <2 cm, no spread
80–90% 5-year survival
Stage II
Tumor 2–4 cm, no spread
70–80% 5-year survival
Stage III
Tumor >4 cm OR spread to 1 lymph node
50–60% 5-year survival
Stage IV
Spread to multiple nodes/organs
30–40% 5-year survival

✨ The hope-giver: “At Stage I, healing often means a small surgery—no chemo, no radiation. Your smile stays whole. This is why early detection is everything.”