OC: What is cancer?

Question 1

Top features suspicious of cancer

Answer 1

Colour: Red/speckled lesion/white
Ulcerated (ulcer that isn’t painful = worrying)
High risk area
Symptom free
Unknown duration
Risk factor history

Question 2

Answer 2

Leukoplakia = white patch that doesn’t wipe off with gauze and isn’t explained by an obvious trauma.

(red flags = site, size)

Question 3

Answer 3

Leukoplakia

(red flags = high risk site, heterogenous texture, ulceration)

Question 4

Answer 4

Speckled leukoplakia

(red flags = heterogenous appearance, red and white speckled)

Question 5

Describe what you see on the soft palate?

Answer 5

Exophytic white lesion and surrounding tissue is red (erythematous)

Further investigation = field mapping biopsies (investigate each of the areas of concern).

Question 6

Answer 6

Squamous cell carcinoma

Exophytic, highly keratinised (very white), heat-indurated, painless soft tissue lesion.

(red flags = under the tongue)

Question 7

Answer 7

Squamous cell carcinoma

(Red flags = white patches can’t be wiped away)

Question 8

Answer 8

Indurated lesion

Question 9

Answer 9

Squamous cell carcinoma