What Does Lip Cancer Look Like?
Medical Review By: Thomas Pham, MD
Your lips are important for lots of things, including chewing and kissing. While the occasional cold sore or cause of chapped lips is annoying, lip cancer is another story entirely.
Lip cancer in its early stages is hard to notice, but that’s when it’s most treatable. By the time a lip tumor becomes obvious, cancer requires more invasive treatment, and it may spread to other parts of your body.
If you get a lot of sun exposure, or you smoke, chew tobacco, or drink heavily, it’s time to learn how to spot it.
Types of lip cancer
Lip cancer usually takes the form of squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer occurs in the squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells found in the middle and outer layers of the skin. Squamous cell cancer of the lip is much more aggressive than squamous cell cancer found in other places of the skin. It’s more likely to spread to the head and neck and harder to treat.
Much less frequently, lip cancer is melanoma, one of the deadliest types of cancer.
Lip cancer symptoms
The lower lip is more vulnerable to lip cancer because it gets more sun exposure than the upper lip. Symptoms to watch for include:
- A sore, ulcer or lesion on your lip that doesn’t heal (a cold sore, unlike lip cancer, does heal)
- A lump or thickened area on the lip
- Whitish or reddish patches on the lip
- Lip pain, bleeding or numbness
- A lump in your neck or swollen glands
- Jaw swelling or tightness
A precancerous condition that can lead to squamous cell cancer of the lip is actinic cheilitis. Symptoms include:
- Scaly whitish patches on the lip
- Dryness or peeling that won’t heal
- A rough, sandpapery texture
- Blurring of the border between the lip and the adjacent skin
- Loss of color in the skin of the lip
- Swelling or redness of the lip
Who gets lip cancer?
UV radiation from spending a lot of time in the sun or using tanning beds is the leading cause of lip cancer. Certain habits, such as smoking or chewing tobacco and excessive drinking, also increase the risk.
Other risk factors for lip cancer include having a weakened immune system, having fair skin, being over 40 years old, and being infected with certain strains of human papillomavirus (particularly strains 16 and 18). Lip cancer is more common in men, possibly because they are more likely to work outdoors and less likely to use lip balm with SPF. They may also be more likely to have smoked or consumed too much alcohol in the past.
Recent research suggests that taking hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, is strongly associated with an increased risk of developing lip cancer. This drug is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure.
Lip cancer treatment
Lip cancer is usually curable; most people survive it and have a good outcome after treatment.
The doctor may recommend Mohs surgery to remove the tumor. In this procedure, the surgeon gradually removes layers of the tumor and a small amount of tissue surrounding it, checking each layer for cancer cells. The surgery ends when cancer cells can no longer be detected under a microscope. Mohs surgery lets surgeons identify and remove tiny roots of cancer, which helps prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.
Advanced cases are usually treated by an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT). Radiation and/or chemotherapy may be used in conjunction with surgery. In rare cases, radiation “seed” therapy is used to treat patients who opt out of surgery. Reconstructive surgery may be necessary to repair the lip.
Protect your lips by following these tips:
Wear lip balm with SPF. Choose a lip balm with an SPF of at least 30 and wear it whenever you go outside. A wide-brimmed hat is also a good idea.
Don’t use tanning beds. Indoor tanning isn’t any safer for your skin than lying in the sun.
Limit or quit smoking and drinking. This is especially important if you drink and also smoke. These habits together put you at much higher risk for lip cancer than either habit alone.
See your dentist regularly. Dentists are often the ones to detect lip cancer, so keep up with routine cleanings and exams.
If you notice any unusual changes in your lip when you look in the mirror, don’t panic. But if something looks or feels different and the problem doesn’t resolve quickly, call your dermatologist ASAP. Treating lip cancer early means less risk of spoiling your smile.
Article Written By: Jessica Brown, a health and science writer/editor based in Brooklyn, New York. She has written for Prevention magazine, jnj.com, BCRF.org, and many other outlets.
How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips
If you ski or spend time in the snow or the sun, you’ve probably experienced chapped lips, which doctors refer to as cheilitis. They can be as uncomfortable as they are unsightly. In the case of severely chapped lips, cracks and sores may develop, and the lips may even bleed.
In most cases, a few simple changes to your daily habits and lip care routine will treat the chapping and give you back the soft, smooth, healthy lips nature intended.
Chapped lips causes
Lips are especially vulnerable to dryness and inflammation because they lack oil glands. The following factors can push the dryness over the edge and lead to chapping.
- Wind and cold weather. Frigid temperatures, low humidity and wind, especially when combined, can deplete moisture from the lips, leaving them flaky, scaly or swollen.
- Sun exposure. Lips are especially sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) rays because the layer of skin that covers them is thin and contains little melanin, the pigment that helps protect skin from the sun. Years of sun damage can cause a precancerous condition called actinic cheilitis, which may look like extremely chapped lips. In addition to dryness and cracking, signs include swelling and redness or white patches, usually on the lower lip. Over time the patches may become scaly and rough. In some cases, the border separating the lower lip from the skin below it becomes less distinct.
- Licking your lips. It’s tempting to do this when your lips feel parched, but it’s counterproductive. While a coating of saliva on dry lips may bring temporary relief, the saliva evaporates quickly, taking moisture with it and leaving lips drier than before.
- Certain medications and supplements. Chapped lips are a common side effect of topical retinoids such as Retina-A, vitamin A supplements and lithium, a medication used to treat bipolar disorder. Chemotherapy also can cause lips to become dry and chapped.
- Dehydration and diet. Chapped lips could be a sign of dehydration, or a diet that’s lacking critical nutrients, including B vitamins, zinc and iron.
- Excess saliva. If saliva collects in the corners of the mouth due to factors such as wearing braces or poorly fitting dentures or having a misaligned bite, the saliva can irritate the skin. What’s more, yeast and bacteria can flourish, causing reddish, inflamed, possibly crusty patches on the skin at the corners of the lips. This painful condition is called angular cheilitis. A deficiency of iron or vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is another possible culprit. Licking the lips makes the condition worse.
- The wrong balm or lipstick. Some products irritate the lips, making chapped lips more likely. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises steering clear of products that contain camphor, eucalyptus, fragrance, flavoring (such as citrus, mint or cinnamon), lanolin, menthol, octinoxate or oxybenzone, phenol (or phenyl), propyl gallate or salicylic acid.
Chapped lips remedies
For most people, using a good lip balm or ointment is the fastest route to healing chapped lips. Choose one labeled “fragrance free” and “hypoallergenic.” Look for at least one of these ingredients recommend by the AAD:
- Castor seed oil
- Ceramides
- Dimethicone
- Hemp seed oil
- Mineral oil
- Petrolatum
- Shea butter
- White petroleum jelly
For extremely chapped lips, the AAD recommends using an ointment that contains white petroleum jelly. Ointments are more effective at sealing in moisture than waxes or oils. Don’t use any lip balm that makes your lips tingle, sting or burn. If you find that your lip product dries out your lips, choose a different product.
When you’re outdoors, no matter the season, use a lip balm with SPF 30 or above that contains titanium oxide or zinc oxide, and reapply it every couple of hours. In the winter, cover your mouth with a scarf, ski mask or face gator to protect your face and lips from the elements.
Indoors, running a humidifier can help keep your lips hydrated. Run it in the room where you spend the most time.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your lips, and the rest of your body, hydrated. Avoid licking, biting or picking at your lips.
If these steps don’t resolve the problem, see a skincare provider. All cases of actinic cheilitis should be treated by a dermatologist to reduce the risk that the patches will become cancerous. People with angular cheilitis may also need a doctor’s care.
Written by Jessica Brown is a health and science writer/editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Prevention, Johnson & Johnson, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and many more.