Jaw tumors are rare tumors that originate from the jawbone. Jaw tumors can be benign, can also be malignant and damage the tissues around the jaw, including the mouth and facial bones. Therefore, the symptoms need to be recognized early so that they can be treated immediately.
Jaw tumors will usually cause abnormal lumps in the jawbone, mouth, and face. These tumors can originate from the tissues and cells that make up the teeth in the jaw or jaw bone tissue.
Jaw Tumor Causes and Symptoms
The cause of the formation of jaw tumors is not known with certainty. However, this condition is thought to be more risky if there is Gorlin's syndrome or also known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCC).
NBCCS is a genetic disorder that causes the sufferer's body to experience organ and skeletal abnormalities and are more susceptible to several types of tumors, including tumors in the jaw and basal cell carcinoma of the skin.
Symptoms that can be experienced by patients with jaw tumors include:
- Lumps in the upper or lower jaw, teeth, and roof of the mouth
- Swollen face
- Changes in face shape
- Pain in the jawbone, teeth, mouth, and other parts of the face
- Difficulty moving the jaw
- Numbness in the mouth or face
These various symptoms will make it difficult for sufferers to talk, chew, and swallow food. Jaw tumors that are not treated immediately can cause teeth to shift or even fall out and cause serious damage to the jaw.
Types of Jaw Tumors
Jaw tumors are either benign or malignant, and there are various types, including:
1. Ameloblastoma
Ameloblastoma is a type of benign jaw tumor that grows slowly on the back of the upper jaw. Although benign, these tumors can sometimes grow quickly and spread to the nose, eye sockets, and skull.
In some cases, ameloblastoma does not cause any symptoms. If symptoms appear, usually a lump around the jaw, toothache, and jaw pain.
If left untreated for a long time, the tumor can become malignant and spread to the lymph nodes or lungs.
2. Odontoma
Odontoma is a type of benign jaw tumor that begins in the upper jaw and is usually detected in adolescence. This condition rarely causes symptoms, but can cause impaired tooth growth.
Odontoma tumors can resemble normal teeth or be small or large irregular lumps.
3. Odontogenic keratosis
Odontogenic keratosis is a benign tumor that appears in the lower jaw, near the back of the molars. Jaw tumors of this type are most commonly experienced by patients with NBCCS.
The growth of this tumor tends to be slow, but can damage the structure of the jaw and teeth, and even risk reappearing after surgery and treatment.
4. Odontogenic myxoma
This rare type of benign jaw tumor occurs most often in the lower jaw and is often similar to an ameloblastoma jaw tumor. Tumor odontogenic myxoma can grow larger and damage the surrounding tissue, causing complaints of pain, tingling, or numbness in the jaw and face.
Jaw tumors can cause the teeth to shift position and damage the jaw structure. Odontogenic myxoma can reappear after treatment, but the risk of recurrence can be reduced with more intensive care and regular monitoring by a doctor.
5. Central giant cell granuloma
Benign tumors that most often occur in the front of the lower jaw. These tumors can grow quickly, cause pain, and even destroy the jawbone. Although benign, these tumors can grow back after treatment.
In addition to the several types of maxillary tumors, there are also tumors that are nonodontogenic, meaning that the tumor originates from other surrounding tissues and then spreads to the jaw. Some types of nonodontogenic tumors are:
- Squamous cell carcinoma, which is skin cancer that attacks the jawbone through the dental cavity
- Osteosarcoma, which is a type of bone cancer that can attack the jawbone
- Ewing's sarcoma, which is a malignant tumor that appears in the bones and soft tissues around the bones, including the jawbone
- Multiple myeloma and several other types of tumors, such as breast tumors, lung tumors, and thyroid tumors, which spread to the jawbone
Jaw Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment
Because it can be caused by many types of tumors, lumps in the jaw need to be checked by a doctor. To diagnose a jaw tumor, the doctor will perform a series of examinations on the patient, namely:
- Physical examination
- Investigations, such as blood tests to check tumor markers, X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs
- Biopsy
Through this examination, the doctor can determine the type of tumor and the level of growth and spread of the tumor (tumor stage). The results of this examination will also guide the doctor in determining effective treatment methods to treat the patient's jaw tumor.
Jaw tumor treatment aims to remove the tumor and prevent the spread of the tumor. Treatment methods include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical removal of the tumor, or a combination of the three.
The surgical procedure is performed to remove the tumor and some healthy tissue around it, including the teeth. Therefore, your doctor may also suggest:
- Jaw reconstruction surgery, to improve the shape of the jaw
- Physiotherapy, to train the patient to use the jaw normally again
- Regular health checks, to determine whether the tumor is growing again or not.
If there are signs of symptoms that indicate a jaw tumor, you should immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.
Early detection of jaw tumors is important because it can affect the success rate of treatment. The earlier a jaw tumor is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of it being cured.