Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Jaw cancer is cancer that has spread from the mouth or oral cavity to the jaw. It can sometimes originate in the jaw, but this is less common. Experts generally consider jaw cancer a rare form ofhead and neck cancer, which accounts for about 5% of cancers in the United States.
Tumors in the jawbone are calledodontogenic(relating to teeth formation). They can be either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
This article reviews the cancerous forms of jaw cancer, including types, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
JohnnyGreig / Getty Images
Types of Jaw Cancer
Most types of jaw cancer have spread to the jaw through the tooth sockets, tongue, salivary glands, palate, or the floor of the mouth.
Jaw cancer can affect either the lower jaw, called themandible, or the upper jaw, themaxilla. Most jaw cancers are found in the lower jaw, often in the bone below the back molars. Sometimes jaw cancer starts in the jaw.
Types of jaw cancer include:
Carcinomas vs. SarcomasCarcinomas are cancers in the cells of the skin or tissues that line the organs. Sarcomas are cancers of the bones, fat, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, or other connective tissue.
Carcinomas vs. Sarcomas
Carcinomas are cancers in the cells of the skin or tissues that line the organs. Sarcomas are cancers of the bones, fat, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, or other connective tissue.
Jaw Cancer Symptoms
A person may not have symptoms in the early stages of jaw cancer, but they may have symptoms of otheroral cancers, which include white patches, sores, and bleeding.
If cancer progresses in the jaw, some common symptoms are:
Since jaw cancer is considered ahead and neck cancer, it shares some of the samecausesor risk factors as other cancers in this region of the body.
The cause of jaw cancer is not always known, but several factors can contribute to it, including:
If you are experiencing symptoms of jaw cancer, reach out to a healthcare provider for an examination of your jaw or mouth to look for lumps. Because jaw cancer is often associated with other head and neck cancers, your provider may also examine your throat, nose, and the lymph nodes behind your neck.
If the provider suspects jaw cancer, they will order abiopsy, which is a procedure that removes a small sample of tissue that can be examined for cancer cells in a lab.
If the lab detects cancer cells in the sample, your provider can order imaging studies like anMRI(magnetic resonance imaging) orCT (computed tomography) scanto pinpoint the location and extent of tumors. Imaging will also help identify the stage or grade of the cancer, which determines the treatment recommendations.
Treatment for jaw cancer depends on the location and extent of the cancer. It may include a combination of approaches.
Surgery
Healthcare providers can remove cancerous tissue and some of the surrounding healthy tissue (called a margin) through surgery.
Surgical removal of tumors is more common in earlier stages of jaw cancer. After the cancerous areas are removed, reconstructive surgery can help restore function and address matters of appearance.
The three mainsurgicalapproaches for jaw cancer are :
After surgery, occupational therapists can provideoccupational therapy(a type of rehabilitation) to help people adjust to reconstruction of a prosthesis (dental implant) to help regain function.
Radiation Therapy
Using high-powered energy waves,radiation therapy(or radiotheraphy) can kill any remaining cancer cells or cancer in places that couldn’t be reached during surgery.It can also help prevent cancer from coming back.
Sometimes implants can be used instead of surgery, which can speed recovery, but not every patient is a candidate for this form of radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapyused alone is not a standard treatment for jaw cancer, but if the cancer has spread to other tissues, providers may recommend it in combination withimmunotherapy. Chemotherapy can also be used in combination with radiotherapy, either applied as a treatment after surgery or as a definitive treatment.
Survival rates for jaw cancer are grouped with other oral cancers. When caught in early stages, 85% of people diagnosed with oral cancers survive up to five years. Overall, more than 66% survive more than five years.
It’s important to remember that statistics don’t represent the outcome of any individual case. Prognosis depends on many factors, including how early the cancer was detected, the location, and the extent of the cancer.
Summary
Jaw cancer is rare and generally considered to be a form of head and neck or, more specifically, oral cancer. Tobacco, alcohol use, poor oral hygiene, and poor nutrition are risk factors for developing these kinds of cancers.
Depending on how advanced the cancer is, treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, and possibly chemotherapy. Reconstructive surgery, prosthetics (dental implants), and rehabilitation can help address the challenges of jaw surgery if a significant portion of the jaw is removed.
Early detection is important, but there may be few symptoms in the early stages of jaw cancer. The prognosis typically depends on the extent of the cancer and where it is located.
A Word From Verywell
22 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Head and Neck Society.Oral cavity cancer.Negrello S, et al.Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior mandible arising in an odontogenic cyst.Reports. 2020;3(2):12. doi:10.3390/reports3020012Ferrari D, Moneghini L, Allevi F, Bulfamante G, Biglioli F.Osteosarcoma of the jaw: classification, diagnosis and treatment. In: Honoki K, Weiss KR, eds.Osteosarcoma - Biology, Behavior and Mechanisms. InTech; 2017. doi:10.5772/67564Ali IK, Parate AR, Kasat VO, Dora A.Multiple myeloma with primary manifestation in the mandible.Cureus. 2018;10(3):e2265. doi:10.7759/cureus.2265Swain N, Dhariwal R, Ray JG.Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of maxilla: A case report and mini review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2013;17(1):89-94. doi:10.4103/0973-029X.110681Crowder R, Jorgensen SA, Towbin AJ, Towbin R.Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma.Appl Radiol.2020;49(4):42-43.Sulagna M, Kalyani R, Azeem M.Fibrosarcoma of mandible presenting as secondary primary tumour - a cytological diagnosis.Biomed Res Ther. 2018;5(5):2326-2331. doi:10.15419/bmrat.v5i5.445National Organization of Rare Diseases.Ameloblastic carcinoma.Lim D, Tan CC, Tilakaratne WM, Goh YC.Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma — review of all published cases: is it a justifiable addition as a malignancy?.Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2022;88(1):118-129. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.01.007Ramani P, Krishnan R, Karunagaran M, Muthusekhar M.Odontogenic sarcoma: First report after new who nomenclature with systematic review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2020;24(1):157. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_14_20Soares CD, Delgado-Azañero W, Morais TM de L, de Almeida OP, Ghersi Miranda H.Odontogenic carcinosarcoma: clinicopathologic features of 2 cases.Int J Surg Pathol. 2020;28(4):421-426. doi:10.1177/1066896919888578American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Mandibular cancer.Chaturvedi P, Singh A, Chien CY, Warnakulasuriya S.Tobacco related oral cancer.BMJ. 2019;365:l2142. doi:10.1136/bmj.l2142Hernandez, BY, et al.Betel nut chewing, oral premalignant lesions, and the oral microbiome.PLoS One.2017;12(2):e0172196. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172196National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Oral cancer.Oral Cancer Foundation.Discovery/diagnosis.Oral Cancer Foundation.Treatment.American Cancer Society.Surgery for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Radiation.American Society of Clinical Oncology.Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: statistics.
22 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Head and Neck Society.Oral cavity cancer.Negrello S, et al.Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior mandible arising in an odontogenic cyst.Reports. 2020;3(2):12. doi:10.3390/reports3020012Ferrari D, Moneghini L, Allevi F, Bulfamante G, Biglioli F.Osteosarcoma of the jaw: classification, diagnosis and treatment. In: Honoki K, Weiss KR, eds.Osteosarcoma - Biology, Behavior and Mechanisms. InTech; 2017. doi:10.5772/67564Ali IK, Parate AR, Kasat VO, Dora A.Multiple myeloma with primary manifestation in the mandible.Cureus. 2018;10(3):e2265. doi:10.7759/cureus.2265Swain N, Dhariwal R, Ray JG.Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of maxilla: A case report and mini review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2013;17(1):89-94. doi:10.4103/0973-029X.110681Crowder R, Jorgensen SA, Towbin AJ, Towbin R.Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma.Appl Radiol.2020;49(4):42-43.Sulagna M, Kalyani R, Azeem M.Fibrosarcoma of mandible presenting as secondary primary tumour - a cytological diagnosis.Biomed Res Ther. 2018;5(5):2326-2331. doi:10.15419/bmrat.v5i5.445National Organization of Rare Diseases.Ameloblastic carcinoma.Lim D, Tan CC, Tilakaratne WM, Goh YC.Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma — review of all published cases: is it a justifiable addition as a malignancy?.Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2022;88(1):118-129. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.01.007Ramani P, Krishnan R, Karunagaran M, Muthusekhar M.Odontogenic sarcoma: First report after new who nomenclature with systematic review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2020;24(1):157. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_14_20Soares CD, Delgado-Azañero W, Morais TM de L, de Almeida OP, Ghersi Miranda H.Odontogenic carcinosarcoma: clinicopathologic features of 2 cases.Int J Surg Pathol. 2020;28(4):421-426. doi:10.1177/1066896919888578American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Mandibular cancer.Chaturvedi P, Singh A, Chien CY, Warnakulasuriya S.Tobacco related oral cancer.BMJ. 2019;365:l2142. doi:10.1136/bmj.l2142Hernandez, BY, et al.Betel nut chewing, oral premalignant lesions, and the oral microbiome.PLoS One.2017;12(2):e0172196. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172196National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Oral cancer.Oral Cancer Foundation.Discovery/diagnosis.Oral Cancer Foundation.Treatment.American Cancer Society.Surgery for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Radiation.American Society of Clinical Oncology.Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: statistics.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Head and Neck Society.Oral cavity cancer.Negrello S, et al.Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior mandible arising in an odontogenic cyst.Reports. 2020;3(2):12. doi:10.3390/reports3020012Ferrari D, Moneghini L, Allevi F, Bulfamante G, Biglioli F.Osteosarcoma of the jaw: classification, diagnosis and treatment. In: Honoki K, Weiss KR, eds.Osteosarcoma - Biology, Behavior and Mechanisms. InTech; 2017. doi:10.5772/67564Ali IK, Parate AR, Kasat VO, Dora A.Multiple myeloma with primary manifestation in the mandible.Cureus. 2018;10(3):e2265. doi:10.7759/cureus.2265Swain N, Dhariwal R, Ray JG.Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of maxilla: A case report and mini review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2013;17(1):89-94. doi:10.4103/0973-029X.110681Crowder R, Jorgensen SA, Towbin AJ, Towbin R.Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma.Appl Radiol.2020;49(4):42-43.Sulagna M, Kalyani R, Azeem M.Fibrosarcoma of mandible presenting as secondary primary tumour - a cytological diagnosis.Biomed Res Ther. 2018;5(5):2326-2331. doi:10.15419/bmrat.v5i5.445National Organization of Rare Diseases.Ameloblastic carcinoma.Lim D, Tan CC, Tilakaratne WM, Goh YC.Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma — review of all published cases: is it a justifiable addition as a malignancy?.Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2022;88(1):118-129. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.01.007Ramani P, Krishnan R, Karunagaran M, Muthusekhar M.Odontogenic sarcoma: First report after new who nomenclature with systematic review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2020;24(1):157. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_14_20Soares CD, Delgado-Azañero W, Morais TM de L, de Almeida OP, Ghersi Miranda H.Odontogenic carcinosarcoma: clinicopathologic features of 2 cases.Int J Surg Pathol. 2020;28(4):421-426. doi:10.1177/1066896919888578American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Mandibular cancer.Chaturvedi P, Singh A, Chien CY, Warnakulasuriya S.Tobacco related oral cancer.BMJ. 2019;365:l2142. doi:10.1136/bmj.l2142Hernandez, BY, et al.Betel nut chewing, oral premalignant lesions, and the oral microbiome.PLoS One.2017;12(2):e0172196. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172196National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Oral cancer.Oral Cancer Foundation.Discovery/diagnosis.Oral Cancer Foundation.Treatment.American Cancer Society.Surgery for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Treating oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Radiation.American Society of Clinical Oncology.Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: statistics.
American Head and Neck Society.Oral cavity cancer.
Negrello S, et al.Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior mandible arising in an odontogenic cyst.Reports. 2020;3(2):12. doi:10.3390/reports3020012
Ferrari D, Moneghini L, Allevi F, Bulfamante G, Biglioli F.Osteosarcoma of the jaw: classification, diagnosis and treatment. In: Honoki K, Weiss KR, eds.Osteosarcoma - Biology, Behavior and Mechanisms. InTech; 2017. doi:10.5772/67564
Ali IK, Parate AR, Kasat VO, Dora A.Multiple myeloma with primary manifestation in the mandible.Cureus. 2018;10(3):e2265. doi:10.7759/cureus.2265
Swain N, Dhariwal R, Ray JG.Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma of maxilla: A case report and mini review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2013;17(1):89-94. doi:10.4103/0973-029X.110681
Crowder R, Jorgensen SA, Towbin AJ, Towbin R.Odontogenic ghost cell carcinoma.Appl Radiol.2020;49(4):42-43.
Sulagna M, Kalyani R, Azeem M.Fibrosarcoma of mandible presenting as secondary primary tumour - a cytological diagnosis.Biomed Res Ther. 2018;5(5):2326-2331. doi:10.15419/bmrat.v5i5.445
National Organization of Rare Diseases.Ameloblastic carcinoma.
Lim D, Tan CC, Tilakaratne WM, Goh YC.Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma — review of all published cases: is it a justifiable addition as a malignancy?.Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2022;88(1):118-129. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.01.007
Ramani P, Krishnan R, Karunagaran M, Muthusekhar M.Odontogenic sarcoma: First report after new who nomenclature with systematic review.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2020;24(1):157. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_14_20
Soares CD, Delgado-Azañero W, Morais TM de L, de Almeida OP, Ghersi Miranda H.Odontogenic carcinosarcoma: clinicopathologic features of 2 cases.Int J Surg Pathol. 2020;28(4):421-426. doi:10.1177/1066896919888578
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Mandibular cancer.
Chaturvedi P, Singh A, Chien CY, Warnakulasuriya S.Tobacco related oral cancer.BMJ. 2019;365:l2142. doi:10.1136/bmj.l2142
Hernandez, BY, et al.Betel nut chewing, oral premalignant lesions, and the oral microbiome.PLoS One.2017;12(2):e0172196. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172196
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Oral cancer.
Oral Cancer Foundation.Discovery/diagnosis.
Oral Cancer Foundation.Treatment.
American Cancer Society.Surgery for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
American Cancer Society.Treating oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation.Radiation.
American Society of Clinical Oncology.Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: statistics.
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