Treatment for Cancer of the Mandible
Mandible cancer affects your lower jawbone. This type of oral caner can spread from your jaw and grow in other nearby organs. Treatment for mandible cancer involves several health-care providers working together to address your needs.
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Treatment Team
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A multi-disciplinary approach to treatment is common for mandible cancer. Your health-care team could consist of an oncologist, a surgeon, a radiologist, a nutritionist and a dentist. Each member of the team will oversee a specific area of treatment. Treatment plans and members of the health-care team vary by patient.
Chemotherapy
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Your oncologist will create a chemotherapy treatment plan. During chemotherapy, you will be administered cancer-killing drugs. These are administered either through an IV or given as a pill. To treat mandible cancer, chemotherapy is often combined with radiation therapy.
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Radiation
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A radiologist adminsters radiation thereapy. During treatment, a high-energy dose of radiation is aimed toward the site of the cancer to kill the cancer cells. You may have radiation to help shrink the tumor before surgery or after surgery to ensure that no cancer cells were left behind.
Surgery
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Since mandible cancer is cancer of a bone, surgery is not always an option. If you have surgery, you will most likely still need chemotherapy or radiation, or both. The goal of surgery is to remove as many cancer cells from the affected areas as possible.
Dental Care
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A dentist must treat any dental issues you have before you begin treatment. Your dentist may want to remove infected teeth and take care of cavities. Proper dental care can decrease the chances of complications during treatment.
Nutrition
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Treatments for mandible cancer can have side effects that make eating a challenge. Your nutritionist will help you find solutions. Proper nutrition is important during treatment. Poor nutrition can make side effects worse and cause complications.
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